


Dark As Night

by Starkvenger



Series: Tony Gets Turned Into Shit [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adorable Tony Stark, Animal Instincts, Animal Transformation, Awesome James "Rhodey" Rhodes, BAMF T'Challa (Marvel), BAMF Tony Stark, Black Panther Shuri (Marvel), Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky's Too Old For This, Cat Tony, Cat Tony Stark, Civil War Team Iron Man, Clint Can Be An Ass Sometimes, Clint Either, Clint Was Wronged In MCU, Clint was an asshole in Civil War, Comic Book Science, Comic Book Violence, Deaf Clint Barton, Gen, Human Experimentation, Hurt Tony Stark, Hydra (Marvel), I repeat, IDK yet if Bucky will be in this yet, Illegal Activities, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, M/M, Mad Scientists, Medical Experimentation, NON-SHIFTER TONY STARK OKAY, NOT A SHIFTER, Near Death Experiences, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Not Very Steve Friendly, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panther!Tony, Possible Tony Stark & Bucky Barnes Friendship, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), So This Is Now Also A Clint Fix-It, Someone Help Tony Already, Sweet T'Challa (Marvel), T'Challa (Marvel) Is a Good Bro, THERE ARE NO SHIFTERS, Team Cap - Freeform, Team Iron Man, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric, Tony is NOT A SHIFTER, Tony-centric, Transformation, Wakanda, Wakanda in general is just awesome, Wakandan children are super sweet, Wanda won't be in this either, iridium, just putting that out there, panther Tony stark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-06 04:19:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 34,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12809463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starkvenger/pseuds/Starkvenger
Summary: After the Civil War, Tony was left to pick up the pieces- Or what was left of them anyway.He started work on amending the Accords, but just when he was about to make a breakthrough, he vanished.Everyone thought he had given up, or better yet, had died.In reality, Hydra had managed to get their grimy hands on him, experimenting on him until he was no longer human.He escapes, thankfully, but now what can he do? Lost in the Wakandan lands with no way to return home or even communicate, how he possibly hope to survive?((Inspired by AppleCiderr's "What Lies Within". I just really like the idea of Tony being turned into a massive panther- the animal really suits him. Anyways go check their story out its great.))





	1. The Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know, I realize that I have a ton of other stories that need to be finished, and I say this alot about a lot of stories, but the idea hit me and I really wanted to see more stories of Tony as a panther, so sue me.  
> (actually please don't- I'm a broke college student lol)
> 
> Anyways, Enjoy, and try to ignore the like, 7 other stories spanning multiple fandoms that I have yet to finish.
> 
> 11/23/17

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

The halls were cold and confined- composed entirely of metal. The hallways were dark, lit only by the rhythmic flashing of the warning lights. Sirens blared throughout the compound, signaling an escape.

 

A large, sleek figure darted through the halls, frantically looking for an exit. It ran quickly, head flicking side to side as it kept an eye out for any pursuers. Its charcoal fur bristled at the sound of footsteps, accompanied by the shouts of henchmen. It ran even faster, dashing around a corner just as men spotted it from behind.

 

"The boss'll have each and every one of our heads if that- that _thing_ gets away!!" one yelled, giving chase after the creature. Many footsteps followed soon after, the men running after the creature as it frantically looked for a way out.

 

Gunshots rang out, bullets whistling past the creature's head. "Don't let it get out!" a gunman said as he ran, the creature finally spotting an opening. The creature made a break for it, running towards a small opening close to the roof.

 

 _A window_.

 

The window was closed, but after bashing into it, it gave way. The creature managed to pull itself mostly out of the window when it suddenly felt something grab hold of its back legs. The animal dug its claws into the earth and tried to pull itself forward, but it felt more hands grab onto its back legs and begin to pull it back in. 

 

The creature thrashed and kicked, managing to loosen the hands' grip enough to squirm out the rest of the way. It then took off into the brush, the sounds of bullets ringing through the air.

 

The last thing the animal heard was the collective anguish and enraged yells of a gunman.

 

" **STAAARRRKKKK!!!!!** "

 

The animal- the panther ran as fast as his body would enable him to. He pumped his legs even after they burned and screamed at him to stop. He didn't slow until the base was not only out of sight, but until he couldn't smell the stench of men and the drugs they forced into him had gone as well.

 

Tony's chest heaved as he slowed to a walk, his massive paws aching under his weight. While the lush jungle he found himself in may have partially blocked the sun from him, the beast couldn't help but pant from exhaustion. 

 

He looked at his surroundings, trying to orient himself but found that everything looked about the same. He was able to tell where he had come from, but not much more. Tony took a seat in the cool dirt and took a moment to think, gathering his thoughts as to what his plan of action should be.

 

 _'Think, Stark, think. You know you're in Wakanda, those morons made that abundantly clear. That means you're in T'Challa's land. Panthers have gotta be protected here, so you don't have to worry about hunters. That's....something, I guess.'_ he thought, staring intently as an ant fiddled about before his paw.

 

 _'If you can find the embassy, or better yet the palace, maybe Kitty can help you.'_ he pondered just how he would get the man to understand that he was Tony and not some random big cat, but he'd cross that bridge when he'd come to it.

 

Tony felt his tail whap against the ground in agitation, and wow, wasn't that a weird feeling. _'Focus. I can't go back the way I came, but reasonably if I were to go in the opposite direction, those buffoons would think to look there, thinking I was desperate to get away. So we go perpendicular then.'_  

 

The panther's mind was made and he stood, glancing at the direction he'd come from and turning so that he faced nothing but brush. _'T'Challa, let's hope your homestead isn't too hard to find.'_

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

Tony moved stealthily through the brush, keeping his head and body low to the ground. His ears swiveled constantly, always on the alert in case any people tried to get the drop on him. He doubted the Hydra agents would catch up to him anytime soon, but that didn't keep him from lowering his guard.

 

There was a sudden rustle from bushes to his right, his hackled raising on instinct as his head snapped towards the sound. Tony narrowed his eyes and focused on the foliage and was about to take a step forward when he realized that a shotgun barrel was aimed right at his face. 

 

His eyes widened and he jumped out of the way just as the gun went off, splintering the wood of a tree behind him. Heart pounding, Tony looked back to find two men crouching behind the brush, one staring at him with a sick grin as the other reloaded his gun. They stunk of deception and grime, and judging by the net one of them held, Tony assumed they weren't shooting at him for self-defense.

 

 _'Poachers...'_  the panther thought, baring his fangs and growling lowly. The man finished reloading his gun and pointed it at Tony once more, but this time the genius was ready. The gun went off and Tony darted out of the way, slipping behind a tree and crouching down. He padded his way closer to the men as they search for him, their eyes narrowed.

 

Had he been able to, Tony would have smiled. Instead, he simply stood up behind the men and let out a guttural roar. 

 

The men startled, the one holding the shotgun shooting it off in the air. Birds scattered from the trees, and now that he had gained their attention, Tony pounced on the man with the gun. He bared his fangs and snarled at him, pinning him to the dirt as the other man tried his best to scoot away from him in the dirt. 

 

His instincts told him to rip the coward's throat out then and there, but his rational brain stopped him. They may be scum, one of the lowest kinds, but Tony himself wasn't a monster, and he had no intention of becoming one. He instead chose to sink his fangs into the man's shoulder, gripping it tightly as blood seeped into his mouth, the coppery substance tangy on his tongue. 

 

The poacher screamed in agony, suddenly going limp in the dirt. He put his ear to the man's chest, making sure he was still alive before turning to the second man, who was staring at him with terrified eyes. Tony narrowed his eyes at the man, who had managed to pick up his partner's gun and was aiming it at the big cat. His hands were shaking, finger on the trigger as he swallowed thickly.

 

The man's breathing was rapid, but Tony stayed still. The pair stared at each other for a full minute before Tony moved. The man shot at him as he lunged, the bullet grazing his leg as he tackled the man with his weight. 

 

He roared defiantly into the man's face, spittle flung onto his cheeks. the poacher stared wide-eyed at him, thinking his life was about to end. Tony simply stepped back, huffed at the pair, and took off.

 

Tony ran into the brush, attempting to ignore the stinging in his leg that he knew would get worse if it wasn't looked at soon. He didn't look back and continued to run, his chest heaving as the stinging in his leg began to get worse.

 

Soon the pain forced him to slow to a walk (more like a limp). He paused, glancing back at his leg to see the fur on his matted down with blood. He grimaced, looking ahead. He could see the end of the brush just up ahead, and all he had to do was make it there. 

 

Tony leaned on the trunk of a tree for support, wincing as his the pain in his leg went from a sting to a dull roar of pain. He did his best to ignore it and keep walking but only got a few more feet before he collapsed. 

 

The last thing he saw before he blacked out was a small figure coming into the brush, then everything went black.

 

 - - - ⎊ - - -

 

TBC ?


	2. Kitty & Kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony interacts with Wakandian children!
> 
> 11/24/17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow- two updates in one day, would ya look at that-  
> (Though technically I posted the first at like 1 am this morning so mehhhhh)
> 
> Anyways, hope you guys like this one, it's been really fun to write these past two chapters, and if you want me to continue this, please tell me! :)

 

_The last thing he saw before he blacked out was a small figure coming into the brush, then everything went black._

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

 

Tony felt himself being prodded at when he woke up, his eyes fluttering open and finding himself inside a room. It didn't quite stink of sterilizer, but Tony was still able to tell he was in some sort of clinic what with the medical tools and systems surrounding him.

 

He shifted in place and opened his eyes fully to find someone standing over him, patting the wound on his leg with a cloth. The doctor glanced at him and gave him a smile, continuing to pat the wound. "Remain calm, young one. I won't hurt you," he said calmly as he began wrapping Tony's hind leg in gauze. 

 

The genius was flabbergasted at the aura of calm the doctor radiated. He didn't know that Tony was _Tony_ , so how was he so calm when he was bandaging up a _panther_? He let out a sigh and dismissed the thought, laying his head back down on the table and closed his eyes, allowing the doctor to continue his work.

 

Once he was done, the doctor got his attention by clearing his throat. "There we are," he said, taking a step back. Tony bent the leg experimentally, finding that while it still stung a bit, it wasn't as bad as when the bullet had first grazed him. He went to thank the man, the words coming out as chuffs and purrs. 

 

The doctor laughed, a warm and gentle sound. "It was no trouble. Now, come and we shall bring you back to where you belong." Tony sat up and jumped off the table, keeping his hind leg off the ground and limping after the man. 

 

While he needed to see T'Challa, he expected that Wakandans may not take well to a panther roaming the streets unsupervised. "Some schoolchildren actually alerted me to your injury, little one," he said as they walked, Tony tilting his head at the statement. Kids just walked up to a panther, just like that?

 

Tony continued to limp after the doctor, the pair leaving his office and stepping out into the open air. Tony beamed at the fresh air and sun on his face, closing his eyes for a moment at the warmth. When he opened them again, the man was walking back into his office. "Go on, enjoy yourself. It's a lovely day after all." he said, closing the door behind him.

 

Tony tilted his head at the action, questions buzzing in his head. First, the fact that the man had seemed so calm about working on such a large animal perplexed him. Second, the man had said that _children_ alerted him to Tony's condition? Hadn't these kids been taught the dangers that had to lurk in the jungle that surrounded Wakanda?

 

He shook the thoughts from his head and looked around, setting off in a random direction. He limped alongside the edge of the jungle, keeping his distance not only from the brush but from the residents that seemed too close to it.

 

At first, he thought he might need to be careful around the village- keep to the shadows as not to scare anyone, but when he was spotted by some Wakandan children, and then immediately said children came running up to him, he realized that the Panthers that inhabited the area must be somewhat docile, for the mothers that were speaking with one another didn't bat an eye as the children began petting him.

 

Tony let out a purr as one of the children, the eldest it seemed, scratched behind his ear as another, smaller child grabbed hold of his tail and made it swish. The little girl didn't pull it, merely made it flop in her hands, so he paid her no mind. Another child was squatted by his injured leg, currently held in the air to keep pressure off it. 

 

The boy, about the age of 3 from the looks of it, narrowed his eyes at the gauze that encompassed the leg. "panfer's hurt!" he said, pointing to the leg and gaining the other children's attention. 

 

The child previously scratching him stopped and joined the small boy, crouching beside him. She looked to be about 10 and looked between Tony's leg and the boy. "Yes, but the doctor has already bandaged him. He will be fine," she said, grabbing the hand of the boy and setting it on the silky fur of Tony's back. 

 

The girl with his tail in her hands released the appendage and grabbed hold of the fur on his side. He tensed as she pulled, tugging herself up on top of the animal. Tony winced but allowed her to climb him. By the time the eldest child noticed, the smaller girl was happily giggling to herself.

 

The elder quickly grabbed the younger and pulled her off the panther's back, smoothing down the fur she had disturbed. The small girl frowned at the elder and began running back towards the mothers, seemingly done with him. The little boy followed suit, finding more fun in wobbly chasing after the girl than continuing to pet Tony's coat.

 

The eldest girl glanced at them before looking back at Tony with a smile. The panther's stomach growled loudly, alerting him to the fact that he was starving. He glanced up to find the girl looking at his stomach curiously. "Oh...You're hungry," she said, biting her lip before glancing at the grown-ups still conversing. "Wait here." she said, taking off and running to the mothers.

 

Tony tilted his head at the kid as she walked towards the adults, a sneaking suspicion on his mind telling him he knew what she was gonna try to do. He took a seat in the dirt and rest there, watching the girl talk to the adults. 

 

Around him, people walked carefree, not bothered by his presence in the slightest. Some kids would smile at him or trail their hand along his fur as they walked by, as did some adults, but mostly no one paid him any mind. 

 

It was nice in a way. Even if he were human, he had never experienced something like this. Being able to simply be in a place, surrounded by people, none of them bothered by him being there or wanting something from him.

 

It was refreshing. 

 

He continued to take in his surroundings, watching people move about the crowded streets. There was a constant hum of movement and chatter, and it reminded Tony of New York. His stomach twisted at the thought, (though whether that was from hunger or home-sickness he was unsure) but still wanting to go home and simply be with his friends again.

 

He sighed, intelligent brown eyes people watching until he spotted a familiar face in the crowd. His eyes widened at the sight of Natasha walking around, a burlap bag slung over her arm as she perused the shops. 

 

Her hair was tied back in a bun and was blonde, and her attire was simple, but there was no denying that face. That was Natasha, he was sure of it. 

 

Tony was about to stand and go to her when the girl was suddenly in front of him, pulling him from his gaze. He tilted his head at the girl, and she smiled warmly in response. "Come- this way," she said, pointing in the direction her mother was waiting.

 

The genius shrugged to himself and stood, glancing over his shoulder at Natasha one more time before following the child. His stomach was beginning to voice its concerns very loudly, and he was sure he could find the redhead-turned-blonde later. 

 

As they walked, the girl seemed overly excited. Her mother regarded her kindly, smiling and shaking her head as the girl chatted away at the jungle cat. Tony didn't get half of what she said, (she talked in a blur) but if it made the girl happy to talk to him, he wasn't going to stop her. 

 

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

TBC...

 


	3. The Words Of Royalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> idk read it to find out what this chapter's about :p
> 
> 12/8/17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Please forgive my butchering of any Wakandan characters- my only exposure to any of them is through the MCU, and those other than T'Challa have yet to be explored, so some people may be a bit OOC.)

 

_As they walked, the girl seemed overly excited. Her mother regarded her kindly, smiling and shaking her head as the girl chatted away at the jungle cat. Tony didn't get half of what she said, (she talked in a blur) but if it made the girl happy to talk to him, he wasn't going to stop her._

  

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

 

The trio came up to a large building, the front of which was composed of glass panels. A pair of twenty foot tall, regal-looking obsidian panther statues sat guard over the entrance- a large, ornate archway composed of shimmering gold. Tony paused at the base of large stone stairs that seemed to encircle the entire palace, glancing up at the scale of the building before swallowing thickly and setting a large paw down on the first step.

 

He climbed the steps slower than the humans, careful to keep his leg from knocking against the stone. The woman, who Tony had assumed was the girl's mother, smiled kindly and nodded at the pair of guards that stood watch at the entrance and opened the door for them. He raised an eyebrow at the sight- did T'Challa just let anyone off the street into the palace? That didn't seem very secure...perhaps she was a hand maiden.

 

The guards looked at him with interest, but he saw no malice in their eyes, only curiosity, and...warmth? Tony glanced behind him as he limped inside and found that the palace seemed even larger on the inside- _if that was even possible._ His jaw opened at the sight, staring at his surroundings in awe.

 

The walls were decorated with ornate carvings of stone and trimmed in a silvery substance- ' _Was that **vibranium**?_  ' The floors seemed to be made of marble, and jet black rugs covered the surface, accenting the whole 'black panther' theme. Guards walked diligently through the halls, but they seemed to enjoy their work, conversing with one another and enjoying each others company. 

 

Tony assumed this was because they were confident no one would dare attack Wakanda's palace, and to give them credit, they were probably right. 

 

The trio continued to walk down long corridors until they came to a large, towering set of wooden doors, intricate designs carved into its surface. Tony wanted to stop there and simply look at the intricacy of the designs, but after a sound from the child's mother, he continued on inside to what he could only assume was the throne room.

 

His eyes widened at the sight before him.

 

There had to be nearly a dozen large, lumbering panthers lounging about the room, some slumbering away on the ground while others patted each other playfully. Tony watched them in awe, never before seeing such large cats act in such a docile way.

 

"Lady Shuri?" the mother called out, looking around for what Tony could only assume to be the owner or at least the caretaker of the animals in the room. "Lady Shuri, we have someone who may need your help." the woman said, looking around with her brow furrowed. 

 

"I'm over here, my friend." a voice said, coming from behind a trio of slumbering panthers. A woman sat next to the creatures, gently running her hand along one of the animal's coat. She held herself with such regalness that there was no doubt that she was royalty.

 

She looked up from her petting and her eyes brightened at the sight of Tony, standing up to speak. "Thank you, Amai. I shall take it from here," she said, the mother bowing to her before picking up her daughter and walking out of the large room. 

 

Tony watched them leave, then turned his attention to the woman in question, getting a better look at her. Her attire was a mixture of what seemed to be formal wear and battle armor; covering her chest was a dark blue, almost black sleeveless breastplate that seemed to be made out of kevlar. Intricate designs adorned the top of the breastplate, intertwining gold and silver that encompassed her neck.

 

What encompassed her legs seemed almost like tights, if not for the fact that when he looked closer, the garment seemed to be woven of thin strands of metal. Surrounding the woman's waist was a tan fitted skirt that acted almost like a cape- it came down to cover her thighs in the front, but in the back it went down to reach the back of her knees. 

 

Thick, dark blue bands encircled Shuri's arms, and her hair, which from what Tony could tell was very long, was pulled tightly into a swirled bun on top of her head. Overall, she looked both noble and deadly at once.

 

Shuri tilter her head at him, stepping out from the other panthers and crouching down to his eye level. She held her hand out to him, silently waiting for him to come closer. Tony felt no reason not to, so he limped slowly towards her. 

 

He butted his head against her palm and she smiled, running her hand down his head and scratching behind his ear. "I am Shuri. Daughter of T'Chaka and Ramonda, sister of T'Challa. I will not allow any harm to come to you so long as you remain within Wakanda, my friend." she said quietly, looking into his eyes. 

 

Tony blinked at the sincerity in her voice, his heart thumping loudly at the thought. It had been so long since he had felt something so genuine aimed at him, he had trouble coping with it.

 

Shri smiled at him and ran her hand along his head once more before standing up again. "Come, we must get your leg healed," she said, walking off towards another room. His hunger forgotten, Tony followed without question, taking in the sight of the Embassy as they walked. 

 

Soon they came upon a room that reeked of medicinal supplies, the thought of which making Tony's fur stand on end. Shuri must have seen this because she paused to smooth the fur out. "It'll be alright. My friends have plenty of practice when it comes to healing your kind," she said, leading him inside.

 

Tony followed once more, albeit this time more carefully. He was alert in this surprisingly large room, constantly checking for anything that may jump out and get an advantage in on him. The panther followed Shuri until she reached a large operating table, at which she stopped and simply patted its surface. 

 

Tony glanced at her before jumping up, a sharp pain in his leg making him cry out. Shuri was quickly by his side, running her hands along his fur in a way that calmed him almost instantly. He lay down on the table as the noblewoman continued to pet him, watching the various medics move about the room. 

 

There were only a couple of people in there at the moment, but it never hurt to check out who the people around you were. The first person he saw was sitting on a table much like his, only way smaller. He was in a robe and seemed all too unhappy to be in the position he was in. His skin was dark and his hair even darker, and he held tightly in his hands a rag of some sort and was constantly wringing it.

 

The next person Tony happened to see was a young woman in a lab coat- her entire stature screamed nervous, so he assumed she must be a new nurse or doctor. Her hair was pulled tightly up onto her head, much like Shuri's, but it seemed to be much shorter than the noblewoman.

 

 By this point, Tony's head was resting on his paws as he looked around at the people in what he could only assume to be the clinic. He watched as people walked around, talking with one another until one person, in particular, caught his eye.

 

The panther's eyes widened at the sight of a head of dirty blonde hair atop a man that towered over many of the people in the room. He wore a dark grey shirt and cargo pants, and was sitting atop a table much like Tony's. He seemed to be talking to the doctor that was in front of him, but Tony couldn't bring himself to think of anything past simply who it was.

 

It was Steve.

 

The fur on Tony's back stood on end, his entire body visibly shaking at the sight of the man who only reminded him of biting cold and sharp, unforgettable pain seeping into his chest. He stared at the man he had once considered a friend, memories of Siberia and the roar of pain overtaking him. 

 

His breathing escalated quickly, claws extending on the table. His tail thumped against the metal nervously as everything around him was replaced with snow and metal. Shuri stopped petting him momentarily, looking at him with confusion for looking in the direction his eyes were in. She spotted Steve, glanced back at the animal who had yet to break contact with the man, and left the panther's side.

 

Shuri walked up to Steve with a neutral expression, glancing back at the animal before looking up at the man once more. 

 

"Hello princess," he said easily, giving her a quirk of a smile. When she didn't return the gesture his smile faded. "Something wrong?" he asked, tilting his head.

 

The woman said nothing and simply pointed to the animal in the midst of a panic attack behind her. "What have you done to that poor creature?" she asked, her voice cold. Her eyes narrowed at him, steely gaze set on the man before her.

 

Steve was taken back by the question, looking up at the panicking animal to find it looking at him with such fear in its eyes that Steve wondered how it could be aimed at him. "Ma'am, I've never even come into contact with a panther before. Not even in a zoo." he said honestly, glancing up at the animal once more.

 

Shuri's gaze never wavered, her eyes drilling holes into his head. "Then why does it look at you as if you were to have tried to take its life in the past?" she said calmly, her armed folded delicately in front of her. 

 

"I- I don't know." Steve gave as a reply, swallowing thickly under the gaze of the noblewoman. He had thought Natasha's intimidating stare was intense, but Shuri's absolutely took the cake. "I honestly don't know, your highness." 

 

Shuri narrowed her gaze once more before turning around and walking back to the animal in question. She put her hand on his head and slowly smoothed out the fur, then worked her fingers down his back, easing the tense muscles as she went. 

 

Tony slowly came back around, the woman's soft hands kneading into his skin making him melt into a puddle of fur on the table. His claws were still extended, but he didn't feel comfortable in the same room as the blonde without something to protect himself with. 

 

When Shuri deemed him fit enough to stop, she lifted her hands from his coat and pet his head once more. She then crouched down so that she was at eye-level with the animal. "I am unsure yet as to whether Rogers is lying to me, if you are simply mistaking his identity little one, or if there is something else at play here..." she said, grasping the panther's jaw lightly in her hands. 

 

"Your eyes scream of intelligence, so I have no doubt that you understand what I am saying. Know this- if he has caused you harm, then fury will be called down upon him. You have my word, little one." she told him, scratching under Tony's jaw and just about making him purr.

 

With that, Tony actually felt safe. He retracted his claws and settled his head on his large paws once more, though his eyes were set on the soldier across the room, who mirrored his gaze.

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

TBC...


	4. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 12/11/17
> 
> Enjoy :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I really don't have any idea about anything in Wakanda, i'm just going off the thought that panthers in this country have got to be reaaallllyyy special, so please please please forgive me for any OOC -ness that comes out of this.

 

_With those words, Tony actually felt genuinely safe. He retracted his claws and settled his head on his large paws once more, though his eyes were set on the soldier across the room, who mirrored his gaze._

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

Tony kept his eyes trained on the super soldier before him, who continued to stare at him with the most confused look on his face. He should have seen what was going to happen next, because he wasn't surprised in the slightest when Steve stood and started walking towards him- or more specifically, towards Shuri. 

 

"Your Highness, are you sure that the problem couldn't be that it's just a wild animal? I mean, panthers are predators, right? Maybe it just--" he was cut off by Shuri standing talk and whipping around to stare at him coldly.

 

"You will not disrespect the animal to which my nation prays to. These  _' **wild animals** '_ are not only protected within this land but have a home in this very palace. We care for them, and in return, they give us more than you would believe." she said, glancing behind her at the panther who had tensed up since Steve had walked over.

 

Shuri looked back at the blonde, her stance unmoving. "This is an intellectual creature who would not attack unless provoked. Especially not one this small." Her words were final as she turned to face Tony once more, running her fingers along the top of his head. 

 

Tony's brown eyes were glued to Steve's blue ones, the latter's sparking with curiosity and recognition for just a moment before it faded. "I apologize, ma'am." he said finally, glancing at the woman before looking to the panther. "And, if I _did_ do something to hurt you, I'm sorry," he said to Tony.

 

The animal's eye narrowed, his tail thumping agitatedly against the table.

 

 _'No, you're not.'_  he thought sadly.

 

Steve looked like he wanted to say more, but suddenly T'Challa poked his head into the room. "Capt- Rogers," he said, his voice even. "Come with me. We have matters to discuss with the rest of your team." he said, the soldier nodding in reply and walking out of the room, but not before glancing at Tony one more time.

 

As soon as the man was gone, Tony felt the tension drain from his body completely. He settled his head again on his paws, this time shutting his eyes and trying to organize his scrambled thoughts.

 

He hadn't noticed anyone else joined them until Shuri was gently getting him to lay on his side. He looked over to find a physician looking over his bandaged leg and shifted his body to give him a better angle. 

 

The doctor smiled at him and looked to Shuri, then back at his leg. "I cannot tell much with this bandage on, so I will have to remove it," he said, looking at Tony when he spoke. Then he grabbed a pair of scissors and snipped the cloth away, revealing a large, two-inch-long wound along his leg. The doctor shook his head at the wound, disgust and anger written on his face. 

 

"Whoever did this is not from Wakanda. Not only was this a misfire, but the intent was to maim, and have eventual bleed-out. We are lucky that someone had patched him up, even if it was temporary because he would not have lasted much longer otherwise." the doctor, who, now that Tony got a better look at him, seemed to be in his mid 50's, said.

 

"I will have to check for any other wounds or bugs on him, but if I may, your highness, where did he come from?" the physician questioned, walking over to one of the shelves and gathering supplies.

 

Shuri looked up from the wound, her eyes blazing with anger but suddenly turning confused. "I- I don't know. My handmaiden and her daughter brought him to me, thinking he might be one of the ones who live in the palace, but he's so small- I've never seen him before," she replied, scratching behind Tony's ear as she spoke. The action made a purr emit from Tony, putting him in absolute heaven.

 

"Could he possibly be from an outlying group that borders Wakanda?" the doctor asked as he set down his supplies on the table where Tony lay. "If poachers, the ones I assume were after him, were truly hunting him, then it would not be strange to think that he is not from Wakanda at all, simply from the area surrounding." 

 

"No, my brother and I have kept a diligent record of each panther that lives both within Wakanda and a hundred mile radius that surrounds it," Shuri said with certainty. "I have looked over each one myself in the past, and never have I come across one with brown eyes such as his." 

 

The doctor paused for a moment to look at Tony, who had been carefully watching his actions. "You are certainly more than you appear, little one," he said lightly, to which Tony rolled his eyes.

 

The physician laughed at this, shaking his head and turning his attention back to his leg. "He's got a personality, _that_ much is true," he said with a smile. The man set to work and the panther in question looked away, not really wanting to watch this. 

 

He let his mind drift, thinking of the events that had led him to this point, how his new team must be feeling, wondering if they were even looking for him, everything- but his mind kept coming back to one thing. Just what was the urgent thing that T'Challa needed to talk to Steve and his team about?

 

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

 

T'Challa had gotten the cal from Pepper only minutes ago. Her voice was cracking and wavered, and coming from a woman who he'd only ever seen be a resolute rock, it unnerved him.

 

"Miss Potts, please, calm yourself. What's wrong?" he asked, concern in his eyes as he stared at the image of the woman, her red-hair disheveled and tangled, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

 

"What's happened?" he asked slowly.

 

He knew in his gut this had to do with Tony in some way- only he could manage to worm his way into Miss Potts heart like that and upset her so. "Is Tony alright?" he asked. He knew she was strong, only something big could make her break like this. Either Stark was hurt or...

 

He dreaded what she would say. 

 

Tears welled in her eyes at the mention of the brunet's name, the king already knowing he wouldn't like the answer that came out of her mouth. "He's gone. We've been looking for him for nearly a month at this point-" her breath hitched. "They're gonna declare him assumingly dead. T'Challa, he can't be-" she broke, tears flowing down her cheeks. 

 

"Not after everything he's been through. He can't go out like this." He voice was determined despite the way it quivered through her sobs. "I wanted you to know. I... I wanted to see if maybe, by some miracle, you had seen him." the redhead said, trying to recompose herself. 

 

"But its obvious by your expression you're just as lost as we are." she finished, wiping her eye on her sleeve. "I hate to do this, I hate to even propose this- but I wouldn't ask if I didn't have no other choice. Please, your highness, if you ask them--" he paused, trying to breathe deeply.

 

"He never came back after he went to Siberia to track down Rogers and Barnes. I... I don't want to even entertain the idea, but what if they..." tears streamed down her face once more, her face falling into her hands. "If they had a hand in his disappearance, I _need_ to know," Pepper said, looking him in the eyes.

 

The king nodded, allowing the woman's words to sink in. Stark may have been brash, egotistical, scatterbrained- but he was also kind, generous, and had a heart of gold. T'Challa admired the man and his quirks, and to think that he may no longer be among them...

 

He couldn't even entertain the idea.

 

"I will hold a meeting immediately," he said, his words final. Pepper gave him a thankful smile and nodded.

 

"Thank you, your highness," she said, wiping her eyes.

 

"Please, call me T'challa," he said, trying to give her a comforting smile. "We will find him, Miss Potts. I'll make sure of it."

 

The woman nodded and ended the call without another word, allowing the man to let out a shaky breath. "Siberia..." he muttered to himself, walking out of his office and down the hall. He hurried down the corridor, walking towards the medical wing where Steve had told him he would be. He stuck his head in the doorway to find not only Steve, but his sister and a panther standing before them.

 

And Rogers was...apologizing to the panther?

 

T'Challa ignored that fact and cleared his throat, taking a step into the room. "Capt- Rogers," he said, glancing at his sister before laying his eyes back on the blonde man. "Come with me. We have matters to discuss with the rest of your team."

 

The soldier nodded and walked up to him, but not without one more glance at the animal on the table. Had one of his sister's companions gotten hurt? He'd had to check on that later. He led Rogers out of the room and down the hall, his steps quick.

 

"What's wrong, your highness?" Steve asked confusedly as the pair walked. 

 

"We've got a problem that concerns all of you." was all he said, walking into the former Avengers' sanctioned area of the embassy.

 

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

TBC...


	5. Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay so some things- 
> 
> OMFG DID YOU SEE THAT TRAILER!? I HAVE WATCHED IT OVER AND OVER I CANNOT WAIT FOR INFINITY WAR YOU GUYS UGH
> 
> Second thing: I know Black Panther is coming out soon, (in a little over a week) and I wanted to get this out before the movie came out. So please, PLEASE, keep in mind that the Wakanda presented here is DIFFERENT from the Wakanda we are most likely to see in the movie.
> 
> Obviously, since the movie isn't out, and I started this before it came out, my Wakanda is going to be very different from MCU Wakanda. My Shuri is based more on comics and personal view from said comics, so DO NOT COMPARE THE TWO.
> 
> DO NOT MAKE COMPARISONS BETWEEN THIS, AND THE MOVIE. PLEASE. THIS IS A CANON-DEPARTURE, SO PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DONT TELL ME THAT THIS WAKANDA IS WRONG BECAUSE OF THIS OR THIS, OR THAT SHURI WOULDN'T ACT THAT WAY BECAUSE OF THIS OR THIS, JUST DON'T.
> 
> It really kills my writing vibe when people either  
> A) compare it to things that don't matter  
> or  
> B) want me to change the way I have written it just to suit their needs. You want a bad-ass warrior Shuri or something? look somewhere else. Yes, Shuri here is a bad-ass. But she's also a big cat mama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways, sorry for that rant up there, I used all my characters for the chapter summary XD.
> 
> Extra long chapter for you guys cause I was on a roll while writing this. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> (Also I have kind of forgotten some of the specifics of what happened in Siberia and it still hurts too much to rewatch it soooooooo cut a guy some slack and forgive me pls)

 

_"We've got a problem that concerns all of you." was all the king said, walking into the former Avengers' sanctioned area of the embassy._

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

 T'Challa led the blonde man through the halls until they came to a pair of guards that stood before a large security door. The king nodded to each of them, and they opened the doors for them. They walked into the embassy to find a large common room with a large flat screen mounted on a wall, before it a large couch and long coffee table. 

 

A kitchen could be seen down the hall, and if one looked ever further, a conference room, gym, armory, and lab as well. Upstairs were the members' individual chambers, and in each room was an intercom. 

 

T'Challa walked up to an intercom pressed a button. "All former Avengers meet in conference room A.," he said simply, ignoring the flinch from Rogers at the word 'former'. He released the button and continued on toward said conference room, Rogers still in tow. 

 

"Your Highness, would you please tell me just what's going on? Why is everyone being called in for a meeting? Does this have to do with the accords cause if it does-" the questions were rapid fire and the king noticed the blonde get seemingly angry at the mere mention of the accords.

 

He held up a hand to silence the soldier, raising an eyebrow at him. "I will explain everything once everyone is here, and no, I am not here to talk with you about the Sokovian Accords. That is for another day." When it looked like the man was about to object, T'Challa stared him down, daring him to speak against his authority.

 

Seeming to know better, Rogers chose to quietly take his seat instead. 

 

The group members seemed to trickle in slowly, the first to arrive being Sam Wilson, then Scott, then Clint and Natasha, and finally Wanda. They placed themselves around the room sparingly, taking up seats next to each other until the entire table was nearly filled. 

 

T'Challa looked at each one of the members that occupied the room, each wearing a varying degree of confusion on their faces. 

 

"I realize you're wondering just why I called you all in for this meeting." he started, before Barton interrupted him. 

 

"Listen, is this about us being pardoned? Cause if it's not, then what's the point?" he asked, his tone sour. Natasha sent him a stern glare and he was silenced. The archer rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, seemingly tuning out of the conversation. 

 

The king straightened himself, second-guessing his decision to tell the group of his findings. If they were still this hostile over their 'civil war' as the media has dubbed it, then he would be facing harsh words and perhaps even harsher actions from these people, should he mention just what happened to Stark.

 

Sam seemed to notice his internal conflict and glared at Clint before looking back at the king. "Sire, forgive me for being blunt, but if there's something you need to tell us, don't let this one's words persuade you to keep it form us." he said calmly, gesturing to the archer as he spoke.

 

T'challa gave him a single nod in return, deciding to just bite the bullet and come out with it. "Tony Stark has been declared missing in action." he said, his words making the air in the conference room tense. 

 

Then, a bark of laughter. 

 

The king looked up to find Clint snickering into his hands, his shoulders bouncing in silent laughter. He furrowed his brow at the action, glancing around to find others, mainly the witch and Scott looking dismissive and uncaring about the subject.

 

He looked at Sam, finding the man standing at the table, his gaze calculating.

 

Natasha's eyes, to the untrained eye, looked passive and blank. However, he could see the sliver of terror in her eyes as she looked at him.

 

He looked at Steve and found the man staring back at him with wide eyes. "What...?" he whispered. 

 

T'Challa sighed, folding his hands behind his back. "I spoke to Miss Potts a few minutes ago, and she told me that Mr. Stark has been missing for nearly a month- that he never returned from Siberia. Now I'm not sure what she meant by that," he said, looking at the wood that composed the conference table, "but my comrade, as well as yours, is gone without a trace." he looked up to find Rogers pale as a sheet.

 

"Rogers, is something wrong?" he asked slowly, an idea creeping into his mind that he could only pray was wrong. "Do you know anything about his disappearance?" he asked. The blonde looked like he was about to speak when the witch piped up.

 

"First off, whoever said he was our comrade? He locked us up." she spat, the air growing electrifying.

 

"Yea, and why do you think Steve of all people would know where that bastard is?" Clint asked his sour mood back in full force. He crossed his arms over his chest in his seat, pursing his lips.

 

Natasha blinked, eyes connecting with the King's. "You said you got this information from Pepper?" she asked. T'challa nodded in reply, watching her gaze go down to examine the table's surface.

 

"Then who's to say that she didn't make the whole thing up to get us to come out of hiding?!" the witch asked, standing up. "That is what Stark does for a living, is it not? Lie and deceive--" 

 

A hand rested on the woman's shoulder, setting her back down in her seat. Roger's patted her shoulder and swallowed thickly, meeting the king's gaze. "I- I can't be sure that--" he started, glancing at the door to the conference room and pausing, his eyes wide.

 

T'Challa furrowed his brow and looked behind him, finding the brown-eyed panther from the medical bay standing in the doorway, bandaged leg and all. He turned to face the large animal fully, crossing his hands over his chest. "And what are you doing here, little one?" he asked, tilting his head.

 

The animal mirrored his movement, tilting its head before glancing at the people behind him. Its body was passive, but T'Challa noticed the animal's eyes were alert and almost... _fearful_? This confused the king- he had seen the animal with his sister, so it wasn't opposed to being near humans; in fact, it had seemed very comfortable around his younger sibling.

 

The panther seemed to notice T'challa examining him and its eyes became guarded, surprising the king. Perhaps this creature was smarter than it let on. 

 

The animal walked slowly into the room, and T'Challa noticed the rest of the inhabitants tense up. The panther too, seemed to notice this, and paused, its muscles rigid under its coat. T'challa glanced behind him before kneeling to the animal's height, holding out a hand for it to inspect. He thought it strange when the creature seemed to roll its eyes at him then do as expected, and but its head against his skin.

 

"T'challa, dude- do you seriously just have these things wandering your pal-" Clint spoke up, his words getting cut off by a sharp jab to the ribs from Natasha. 

 

The king stood, panther at his side, and looked back at the group. "Yes, I do. Panthers such as this are a symbol of Wakanda; many of my people believe they are a sacred animal, a majestic creation to be protected at all costs. We care for and honor them, and they in return give us guidance and protection from mystical forces that wish us harm." he explained, stroking the animal (who was sitting at this point) on its head. 

 

"He won't harm you. Not only are these docile creatures, but this little one is a runt. It's a wonder he's made it to this age." T'Challa said, sitting down in a chair beside the animal. "Now, Rogers. I believe you were about to say something in regards to Tony Stark's disappearance?" he asked, his tone neutral and calm.

 

"Right, y-yes." Rogers replied.

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

Tony had been released from the medical bay after the doctor had patched up his leg and put it in a splint. The woman; Shuri, had told him he was free to get wherever he'd like, and the way she spoke to him made him wonder if she knew- that is until he noticed that was how she spoke to all Panthers. The woman truly believed that they were just as intelligent as humans, even if Tony himself didn't believe that.

 

He walked* (*see: limped) about, exploring the large structure until he found himself in the doorway facing a bunch of former Avengers. Former _friends_. Tony swallowed and stared, the room going quiet as they stared at him. T'challa finally took notice of him and smiled at him, his eyebrows furrowed.

 

"And what are you doing here, little one?" he asked. Tony was still confused on just why everyone kept calling him that-- sure he was short, but they didn't even know he was Tony- unless this was one big joke and they secretly planned this entire thing with Hydra and that wasn't actually Hydra, jut revenge thought up by Steve and his lackeys just to--

 

The brunet stiffened, his muscles rigid and breathing heavy as he attempted to relax. ' _Think logically, Stark. T'challa wouldn't do that. Steve, possibly. T'challa, no. He's your friend. Your ally._ ' he told himself, calming back down.

 

It was then that he noticed T'challa at his eye level, holding out his hand for him to sniff, and Tony rolled his eyes at the gesture but played the part. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't think now would have been the best time to attempt to tell the man he was Tony. _Especially_ not with the people currently in the room. 

 

The billionaire heard Birdbrain pipe up, his hair standing on end after only a few words.

 

"T'challa, dude- do you seriously just have these things wandering your pal-" thankfully, he had been silenced by Natashalie's elbow in his gut. He silently snickered to himself, guiltily taking joy in the fact that she shut him up so easily.

  

He took a seat next to the king's legs, who by this point had stood up, and took comfort when the man continued to stroke his head.

 

"Yes, I do. Panthers such as this are a symbol of Wakanda; many of my people believe they are a sacred animal, a majestic creation to be protected at all costs. We care for and honor them, and they in return give us guidance and protection from mystical forces that wish us harm."

 

The room seemed unconvinced, so the king continued. "He won't harm you. Not only are these docile creatures, but this little one is a runt. It's a wonder he's made it to this age." he heard the man say, answering his question as to why everyone thought he was so small.

 

T'challa sat down in a chair and continued to pet his head, but also continued on with the meeting Tony assumed he had interrupted. 

 

"Now, Rogers. I believe you were about to say something in regards to Tony Stark's disappearance?" Tony's eyes went wide, staring intently at one of the people at the table's leg. His mind went blank- why would they be discussing this? How did they know he was missing? Why would T'Challa bring this up with them, didn't he know these people hated him--

 

"Right, y-yes." he heard Rogers reply, throwing him for a loop. Tony pulled himself out of his own mind and picked his head up, resting it on the table. He looked at each of the members of the table, they all looked back.

 

His eyes were guarded. No matter what form he was in, this was something Tony knew he had perfected over the years. He made himself seem passive, lazily looking from Barton to Wilson. He couldn't bring himself to look at Wanda, the thought of her in his head sending his heart rate sky high. 

 

When they deemed him no threat, the people seemed to be fine with completely ignoring him, focusing all their attention on either Rogers or T'challa.

 

"Go on then," T'Challa replied, folding his hands on the table. He waited for Rogers to speak, watching as the man fidgeted in place.

 

"Well, um, Bucky and I had discovered this old Hydra bade in Siberia. Buck told me about these other brainwashed super soldiers- that someone was gonna try to re-activate them. So, we went to check it out. Tony showed up, and he told us that he was there to help. I genuinely assumed he was, and we came to a truce." Rogers started, Tony's body slowly tensing up as he spoke.

 

So far, he hadn't said anything that was untrue, though his wording seemed to make it out to be that Tony had only been acting like he wanted to help-- did Steve really think that low of him?

 

"Well, it was a trap of some kind. We got there, and the other winter soldiers were dead. Zemo, the man that had done it, showed us..." Rogers trailed off, unsure of himself. 

 

Tony narrowed his eyes, daring the man to say anything that wasn't true. He wanted to hear what Steve thought had happened, he wanted to understand how the man he had looked up to his entire childhood could keep something so vital from him, how he could beat him senseless and abandon him in a Hydra base. Tony wanted to know how he could justify that.

 

Rogers sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Steve, I need to you to tell me what happened in that base. It could save or kill Tony for all we know." T'challa said, his words edged with a sense of urgency.

 

The soldier sighed, his shoulders slumping. "He played a video of Buck-- of _the Winter Soldier_ killing Howard and Maria Stark. Tony got angry- he became enraged and attacked Bucky, he attacked me, blaming me for never telling him- we had to defend ourselves," he said defensively, glancing around. Tony did the same, noticing two faces in particular. 

 

Natasha seemed to show more emotion than Tony had ever seen in his life. She looked appalled, shocked at his words. "Steve..." she started, standing up slowly. "You _knew_ Bucky killed his parents. You've known since we checked those databases. Are trying to tell me that you never told him?" she asked, her shock turning accusatory.

 

Steve swallowed, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. At this moment Wilson stood up, surprisingly, and shook his head. "You- Stark had just witnessed the murder of his parents, with the killer in the room, attacked you, and _you hit back_?" he asked, a mixture of fear and disgust on his face. 

 

"When someone in shock becomes violent, you never, _EVER_ strike back, Steve. That _always_ makes things worse! You hold that person tightly until they calm down, or until they can think rationally!! Hitting them escalates the situation to dangerous levels for both parties involved!" he said, looking at the man and seeming to regret his choices.

 

"Hold on here, if Stark was wearing his suit, and let's be honest here, he probably was, how the hell was Rogers not supposed to fight back?!" Clint spoke up, standing up and resting a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

 

"You said, you defended yourself," Wilson said slowly, his eyes widening as he spoke. "Steve, I have seen you dent metal with your punches. Please don't tell me that _that_ is how you lost your shield."

 

Steve was quiet, his mouth tight. Tony looked to T'Challa, who seemed to be taking everything in. He watched the people around him argue and talk over one another, and glanced down at the animal. He gave the smallest smile and then looked back up at the humans.

 

"Quiet," he said calmly, the room slowly dying down. "From what i'm understanding," he started, gesturing for them to sit down as he stood up, "Mr. Stark came with you to the base in an attempt to aid you, realized not only that his parents had been killed by the person you were trying to protect, but that you kept it from him as well. He lashed out, and instead of attempting to calm him it came to blows. You and Barnes _escaped_ , and Stark was left behind in a possibly still active, not-so-abandoned-after all hydra base." he said calmly, hands behind his back.

 

"And now he's gone."

 

 - - - ⎊ - - -

 

To Be Continued... :)

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, so I know I said the witch bitch™️ probably wasn't going to be in this, but *sigh* I couldn't have the whole traitor team there without her, so, unfortunately, she is present.
> 
> Sorry again.
> 
> I didn't want to include her, and trust me, if I could come up with a believable reason for her to be absent, she wouldn't be there. 
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed! :D


	6. Theft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony tries to help and things don't go according to plan...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still have yet to see Black Panther, again, don't fucking point out whats different about the movie.
> 
> I haven't seen it.

_"Quiet," he said calmly, the room slowly dying down. "From what I'm_ _understanding," T'Challa started, gesturing for them to sit down as he stood up, "Mr. Stark came with you to the base in an attempt to aid you, realized not only that his parents had been killed by the person you were trying to protect, but that you kept it from him as well. He lashed out, and instead of attempting to calm him it came to blows. You and Barnes escaped, and Stark was left behind in a possibly still active, not-so-abandoned-after all hydra base." the king said calmly, hands behind his back._

_"And now he's gone."_

 

 - - - ⎊ - - -

 

 Tony sat at the noble's feet, listening to him speak. He glanced at the people in the room, then back at the king. It was silent- you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. It unnerved him, to say the least.

 

The panther butted his head against T'Challa, gaining his attention. ' _It's fine, your highness. Don't make a fuss over little ol' me. I'll find a way to change back.'_ he thought, getting a grim smile and a hand ran through his fur in reply. 

 

The king looked back up at the people around him and nodded. "Well then. I see you all have things to think through. I will leave you to it." he said, turning around and walking out with the panther in tow.

 

Tony paused at the doorway, glancing over his shoulder at the group before going on to catch up with T'Challa. He walked alongside the man as he seemed to almost radiate anger, yet retained his composure. Every once in a while T'Challa would glance down at him and his expression would soften, but when he looked away it would only increase in rage. 

 

He followed the king into what he assumed was his bedroom, a large sweeping room with ornate golden panther statues standing guard just inside the door. Tony glanced at them, sizing himself up against them. They seemed to be the same size as the average panther, and the brunet noticed that he was in fact quite a bit smaller. He stood nearly half a head shorter than the statues, and his paws seemed to be too big for his legs. 

 

He ignored them and continued to follow the King, watching as he fell back onto his large, circular, and well-endowed (in the pillow department) bed. Tony glanced at the smooth fabric, unsure if T'Challa would mind panther fur on it, when he noticed the man sit up and reach down to grab him.

 

"Come on, little one, don't be shy," he said, helping him onto the bed. Tony padded onto the fabric and watched as T'Challa flopped back down, his arms spread out.

 

"What am I going to do...?" he heard T'Challa mutter. The man looked at him and gave him another grim smile. He reached out a hand and scratched Tony's ear, a motion that he wasn't afraid to admit drew a genuine purr from him. 

 

Tony takes this as his chance and moved closer, laying over one of the man's arms and rolling over on his side to face the King.

 

"The Avengers don't seem like they're going to be much help with this. Romanov, maybe," he paused, picking himself up and tucking his legs under him as he sat on the bed. "And perhaps Sam, but I don't think the others will be of much assistance...particularly Rogers," he told the animal, staring at the mural on his ceiling. 

 

T'Challa shook his head, looking down at the little creature. He ran a hand over Tony's head, to which the panther closed his eyes. "I don't suppose _you_ know where Stark is, do you?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

 

Tony's eyes shot open, looking at the King intensely. This caught the nobleman's gaze, raising an eyebrow in question. "Do you?" he asked slowly.

 

The animal could feel the warmth bubbling in his chest. This was his shot, all he had to do was convince the man that he knew where 'Tony' was, that he was right there, that he wasn't missing, then he could go home and--

 

Suddenly, T'Challa's bedroom chambers burst open. 

 

"Sire!" A young woman who looked to be in her early twenties burst into the room, her body beaten and breathing heavily. "Your Highness, the palace, the marketplace-- We're under attack," she said, leaning on the wall as blood trailed down her arm. 

 

T'Challa's gaze hardened. "Call the guards to arms, and get yourself to medical," he said, standing up and pressing down on a pendant he wore around his neck. The black panther suit enveloped him, trailing over his skin until it encompassed the man completely. He looked back at the panther on his bed, then to the door.

 

"Stay here. We are not finished with our conversation," he said and darted out the door after the woman.

 

Now Tony had never been one for doing what he was told, and this time was no exception. He stood up on the bed and jumped off, taking off out the door silently. He followed T'Challa and the woman as they ran down the hall, then opted to continue following T'Challa once they inevitably split up. 

 

He watched as the king paused in the large doorway that led outside, and could hear his heartbeat quicken at the sight. 

 

The marketplace was one fire-- villagers scrambled around, some guarding children while others fought back with whatever was around them. The things they fought back were drones and men in red and black uniforms--

 

Men who Tony recognized instantly. It was Hydra.

 

The panther's eyes widened, frozen in place as T'Challa burst out of the doorway and began clawing his way through machines an men. He watched as Hyrda grunts rounded up panthers, capturing them in cages or nets as they tried to run. It made his skin itch and he growled lowly, fear was forgotten and he himself burst through the doorway with a loud roar.

 

T'Challa glanced up to see the small panther bolting through the crowd and attacking Hydra grunts, eyes widening when the men seemed to begin to focus on the little one more. 

 

 "There he is! Get the runt!" Tony heard a man say, looking behind him to find a hydra goon aiming a gun at his face. His eyes widened and he took a step back, only to set off a net trap and become entangled in it. 

 

Tony yowled in shock as he was captured, fighting the net and attempting to claw his way out. it was made of some kind of reinforced material, cause his claws had no capability to cut through it. 

 

His breathing was labored but he continued to struggle, even after noticing a man begin to walk up to him. "There you are, Mister Stark. Did you really think we'd let our greatest creation escape our grasp?" he asked, his voice sickly sweet. He then took out a stun gun and zapped the net, electrocuting Tony along with it. 

 

He attempted to keep his eyes open, he really did, but the pain was too great that he found himself shutting them. He cried out in agony, unknowing of the attention he had gained. He felt a prick in his neck, and his eyes began to droop. The last thing he was was Wakanda engulfed in flames before everything went black.

 

 - - - ⎊ - - -

 

T'Challa watched as the panther- the one he had told to stay inside, was entangled and electrocuted by the Hydra men. What purpose had these men for capturing panthers, weren't they a terrorist organization?

 

The king had no time to think about it, because the net holding the young panther was about to be thrown into a large truck. T'Challa thought on his feet, pulling out a small tracker bug and shooting it at the animal. He knew it attached to the feline's neck when his arm lit up with a signal.

 

There was no time to waste, he looked around to find the former Avengers walking towards him, somewhat bruised and battered. 

 

"What the hell was that about?" Clint asked, throwing his arms up in the air. "One of those bastards snapped my fucking bow!" 

 

"With all due respect, sir," Rogers spoke up, his suit torn and a bruise healing on his jaw, "What was the meaning of this attack?" he asked.

 

T'Chall rolled his eyes at the archer. "They were capturing panthers. It seems though, once they caught our little runt, that seemed to be good enough for them. There's something about that animal..." he trailed off, thinking for a moment.

 

"Nevertheless-- I placed a tracker on him. Let's get in the quinjet and follow the signal," he commanded, leading the way back to the palace. "Where the little one is, there are bound to be others." he said.

 

 _"...Perhaps even Tony"_   he didn't say.

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

TBC... 


	7. The Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony wakes up in a strange place, and some people finally show up. :)
> 
> (also I am on a roll! two chapters in two days! BOOM BABY!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: 
> 
> Timeline gets a LITTLE screwy here.
> 
> Here's the series of events since this diverges from Canon:
> 
> \- The Rogue Avengers escape to Wakanda  
> \- Tony, Steve, and Bucky go to Siberia  
> \- Tony gets beaten to a pulp  
> \- Tony gets captured
> 
> Basically, it just puts the group having escaped before the pair o' dick suckers went to the Hydra base and beat up Tony.
> 
> thanks :3

 

 _"Nevertheless-- I placed a tracker on him. Let's get in the quinjet and follow the signal," he commanded, leading the way back to the palace. "Where the little one is, there are bound to be_ others. _" he said._

_"...Perhaps even Tony"  he didn't say._

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

When Tony came to, he found himself in a dull grey room devoid of color. He attempted to lift his head, but it sent his vision spiraling. The billionaire opted to stay down, shifting his weight and noticing something cold and heavy around his neck.

 

He glanced to the side to find a chain coming from his neck, attached to what he assumed had to be a large metal collar. He followed the chain with his eyes until it disappeared into the wall, seeming to melt with it. 

 

Tony wanted to take in more of his surroundings, try to formulate a plan of escape, but the ringing in his ears was too much, the room was spinning, and frankly, there was nothing _to_ take in. The blur of thoughts and voices in his head didn't really help the situation either.

 

He heard the click of a door _(why did it have to be so **loud**...)_  and glanced up to find a large man with greying black hair standing before him. He was built like a wall, his structure nearly putting Thor to shame. The man wore a thickly padded, almost Captain America-like suit, with Hydra's logo stitched on the front.

 

The man grinned at him with yellow teeth and sharp green eyes, his hands clasped firmly behind his back with each step he took closer to Tony.

 

"Well, well, Mister Stark. Thought you could run from us now?" he asked, his voice quiet and sickeningly warm... it made Tony's skin crawl. "You thought you could hide in Wakanda- that we wouldn't come looking for our masterpiece of biogenetic engineering?" the man asked, sneering down at the animal.

 

"Pathetic," he growled, squatting down to face the billionaire. Had he the strength, Tony would have attempted to claw the man's eyes out. However, at the moment, he could barely like his head off the ground. They must have drugged him.

 

"My scientists are going to make sure that doesn't happen again." the gruff man said, waving in two people in uniforms- one, a short blonde female, the other, a bulky brunet male. They brought with them a rolling cart full of medical supplies, and had Tony the ability, he would have tensed.

 

"They are going to make you...obedient." he smiled down at the animal, his words cruel yet soft to Tony's ears. They caused a pool of dread to fill in his stomach, but he had no ability to act on it.

 

" _One way or another._ " he smirked.

 

The man then turned on his heel, walking out of the room as the scientists got to work.

 

 - - - ⎊ - - -

 

"Please tell me I'm not the only one who heard that," Sam said, leaning into the device on T'Challa's arm. He was beginning to sweat, his eyes wide at the words that had come out of what he could only assume to be a hydra officer.

 

"Well, it answers the question of where Stark is..." Clint mumbled, messing with the bow he had gotten from the Wakanda armory. His voice seemed to lack any emotion, and it made T'Challa's skin crawl.

 

The king glared at the archer, the latter holding his hands up in surrender.

 

"What could they have meant by...obedient?" Steve asked, gripping the edge of his seat. His jaw was set, a mixture of guilt, anger, and desperation on his face. "What did he mean, 'run to Wakanda'? I- I didn't see Tony anywhere." he muttered.

 

T'Challa's brow was furrowed, lot in his thoughts as he replayed the one-sided conversation over in his head. That thought stuck out to him-- why hadn't Tony responded with a quip or jab about the man? Perhaps they had him incapacitated in some way... then why kidnap panthers? It made no sense.

 

"-ur highness?" the tail end of those words pulled him out of his own mind.

 

"What?" he asked, looking around for the one who was trying to get his attention. He found Natasha, staring at him. 

 

"Sire, with all due respect, maybe we should stop listening to what's going on and actually get to a quinjet," she said, her voice calm but edged with a sense of urgency. He could see the panic just underneath the surface and knew she had been feeling guilty the past couple of weeks.

 

"We can't. Colonel Rhodes and the Vision are on their way. We must wait for them." he said simply.

 

This caused an uproar.

 

Steve's eyes bugged out of his head, standing up from his seat in protest. "But Sire, then they'll know where we are!!" he said, his voice panicky. The leader of the rogues seemed to speak for most of them, disregarding Sam and Natasha that is.

 

"Calm down Rogers, Stark has probably known where we are this entire time. He's just too decent to rat us out," the redhead said, cleaning one of her knives. The assassin looked up at the King as if trying to confirm her suspicion. Sam stayed quiet but nodded in agreement. 

 

T'Challa nodded in confirmation, holding out his hands in an attempt to placate the 'heroes'. "In fact, he does. I told him," he said, dropping his hands and folding them behind his back. "Just before he disappeared...before he went to Siberia, we had made plans to meet and discuss a possible pardon for you all," he said bluntly. 

 

That seemed to do the trick in quieting the group down since no one dared to speak afterward.

 

"That being said, things may just change after Tony comes back. I'm not so sure how warm he'll be to the thought of pardoning you all now," he said, turning on his heel as he heard footsteps approach.

 

"Ah, Colonel Rhodes. A pleasure to see you," the king said calmly, a smile on his face as he held out a hand to greet the soldier that walked up. He may not have been surprised by that fact, but it seemed that the rogues behind him were. 

 

Sam paled at the sight of the Colonel, but T'Challa ignored them. "Those braces seem to be doing the trick I see," he said to the officer. 

 

"Yea, they work well enough. Just a prototype though. Tony said he was going to work on the full thing once he got back but..." Rhodey trailed off, glancing behind him at the android that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

 

"Ah, Vision. Welcome." T'Challa greeted, his voice warm.

 

Vision smiled and nodded, glancing at the group behind the King. No doubt he was searching for Wanda, but T'Challa had deemed her too much of an occupational hazard for this mission and benched her, leaving Scott behind to watch the witch. 

 

"It's a pleasure, your highness." the android replied, shaking hands with the King.

 

"Please, call me T'Challa. No need for formalities among colleagues," he said, not unaware of the anger beginning to bubble in Steve's face behind him. After all, he had never extended that invitation to the rogues. 

 

"Well, not to be rude, but I think we should get this show on the road, don't you think?"  Rhodes said, not sparing the group behind them a glance. "You said you think its a Hydra branch that has him?" he said, falling into step with T'Challa as Vision floated alongside them.

 

The group behind them followed quietly, unsure of how this was going to go.

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

**TBC...**

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to have more here, but I thought it better to end it where I did and be able to move on to the next chunk in the next chapter.
> 
> easier to keep things around a ~1200 word limit...
> 
> Makes things easier for me and updates quicker for you, my dears. ;)


	8. Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's captors have some things they'd like to get done...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today (the 29th) is my birthday! SO, as a gift from me to you, I am uploading this! :D
> 
> thank you all so much for the love you've given this story so far, it really does help me to want to continue writing it.

 

_The group behind them followed quietly, unsure of how this was going to go._

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

 Tony wanted to bite. He wanted to sink his fangs into the scientists as they poked and prodded him with needles and gadgets. He wanted to tear into their flesh, feel their warm blood on his tongue and--

 

Whoa. Where had _that_ come from? Tony winced as another needle was injected into his leg, the (slightly less) injured one no less. He listened to them banter back and forth, every once in a while throwing an insult at him or rubbing the situation in his face. At times he wondered just what they were doing, just what the man had meant when he said they'd make him 'obedient'. 

 

He was Tony Fucking Stark. he listened to _no one._

 

As he lay on the ground of the dull grey room, he began to think about what had led him to this point. When it came down to it, it was all just a series of trust and betrayal. He growled at his own thoughts, alerting the scientists. 

 

"Having some pesky thoughts Stark?" the male asked, the smirk on his face evident behind his mask. He pulled out a needle full of a bright blue liquid and flicked it.

 

Why did villains always do that?

 

For dramatic effect?

 

Did it do something to the stuff inside?

 

He wouldn't get the answer to this, of course, because the needle was plunged not into his leg, but the back of his neck. He felt the thick liquid flow into his bloodstream, and suddenly, everything became....hazy.

 

Had had he always been laying down? When had the room started spinning? Who were these....these... he lost the word for them...these _things_ in the room with him? The liquid worked fast. Soon, everything was a blur. the room faded in and out, the sounds coming from the thing's mouths, his thoughts-- everything was just _too much_.

 

Tony growled in frustration-- what was happening to him!?

 

He nearly found the strength to stand when he felt a sudden charge course through his body and everything went black.

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

 When he awoke, it was slow. the panther allowed his eyes to adjust to the light, blinking slowly. When he finally opened his eyes fully, he looked around to find a pair of circular metal...things... on the ground, and walls surrounding him. 

 

Where was he?

 

The animal tried to stand but found his body too weak to do so. He opted instead for lifting his head and looking around. Wherever he was, he was alone, but that only set to put him on edge. What if it was a trap? Was he going to be attacked?

 

The panther slowly found himself gathering the strength to stand, and when he did, found himself connected to the wall by some...metal thing. It was heavy, and cold, and led to a thing that encircled his neck. He growled at the thing, but it didn't detach itself from him.

 

He looked around, confused by his surroundings. 

 

It was then that he noticed the circular metal things once more-- and, more importantly, the scent that emanated from one of them. The panther padded over to it and sniffed, taking in the smell of fresh meat. He looked around once more and greedily dug in.

 

As he ate, he failed to notice a door open and a man walk in. Once he finished, however, he picked up the human's scent. 

 

Metal. Blood. Anger. Pride.

 

The animal immediately went on the defensive, whipping his tail back and forth and baring his fangs. He would show this human that he wasn't one to be trifled with. He growled, extending his claws and taking a warning swipe when the human came a bit too close.

 

The human in return simply chuckled. "I see that it worked then," he said, his yellowing teeth showing in his smirk. "Well, Tony, I'm hurt to say that you don't at least remember me."

 

Tony? Was that his name? The panther couldn't remember. he growled and shook his head, taking another warning swipe at the human.

 

"Now, now, is that any way to act towards someone who saved your life?" the human asked, kneeling down and reaching into his pocket for something. Tony noticed once he had taken it out of his pocket that it was a meat of some kind, but not raw. It was in a tight, clear wrapping of some kind, and was shaped like a long narrow stick.

 

The human unwrapped the stick of meat and held it out to him, wiggling it slightly when Tony, as he assumed his name to be, didn't move. The human stayed still as Tony sniffed the air, catching a whiff of the substance.

 

Slowly he crept forward, keeping his eyes trained on the male should he try anything. Just as he was about to reach the meat, however, he felt a tugging sensation against his neck, and looked back to find he had reached the end of the metal rope as he deemed it. 

 

He looked back at the human, whose expression had not wavered, and watched as he shuffled closer. He continued to hold out the meat as he came closer, the pairs' eyes locked with one another. Just as the man was about to reach him, Tony heard a strange noise and then the voice of a female human emit from nowhere.

 

"Sir, are you sure that's a good idea? We aren't sure if the treatment completely--"

 

"I know what I'm doing, Karla." the man said in response, his voice harsh and cold. He then turned to look at the animal before him and spoke softly, kindly towards him. Perhaps the human favored Tony's kind over his own. 

 

"That's it, Stark. I won't hurt ya," he said, a smile creeping onto the human's face. "Anymore, that is..." the man seemed to mutter as he got closer to Tony's muzzle. The meat was laying flat in his palm and offered out to tony in full. The panther sniffed it once more and ate it from the human's hand, allowing him to run the other appendage over his head. 

 

If he was honest, the feeling was strange, yet enjoyable. Tony found himself liking the strokes of the human's hand over his head and around his ears. The panther found himself purring as the human got closer to him, running his hands down his spine and scratching along the way. Tony arched his back into the touch and began to purr, seeming to delight the human at his side.

 

"Oh, you like that, do you?" the human asked, scratching more intensely. He ran his hands around the panther's ears and scratched behind them, causing the large animal to flop over on his side in contentment. His purrs got louder and he butted his head against the human's hand.

 

If he was going to do this, Tony would give the human anything he wanted.

 

"Alright, buddy, I'm just gonna inject this into your vein, okay? You're gonna feel a slight pinch..." he heard the man say, scratching Tony behind the ears as he spoke. The panther didn't pay any attention to it, as long as he continued his actions, but his eyes widened when he felt a sharp sting in his leg.

 

He snapped his attention to the human, who held a sharp object in his hand and immediately went on the defensive once more. He tensed for a moment before everything went numb. 

 

Why was this happening? Why was the room spinning? He was beginning to topple-- did the human just catch him?

 

"That's it, boy. Just lay down..." the human said, stroking his fur as Tony laid down on the cool ground. Perhaps a small nap couldn't hurt...after all, he had this human around to protect him...

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

"HIs vital signs are normal," Karla said, running over the computer screens in the lab, the panther lying motionless on the lab table before her. "Brain waves are normal-- well, normal for a panther's anyway, and we are all set to begin phase two," she said, checking over her clipboard once more before looking up at her boss.

 

The man was imposing- built, with stormy grey eyes and a stormy attitude to match. He glanced at her before looking at the animal. "So the imprinting will take effect?" he asked, his arms crossed as he didn't look up from the table.

 

"It should, yes sir. That was the whole reason for you giving the injection in the first place. If there's already a sense of trust, even a fleeting, sliver of it, the serum will latch onto it and enhance it 100 fold." she stated. 

 

The man smiled wickedly. "Good." He walked around the table, running his hand down the coat of the panther- of the former Tony Stark. "I wanted a fearsome, loyal guard-dog. However...a fearsome, loyal, guard- _Stark_ , a _panther_ one at that is even better." He chuckled, crossing his arms once more.

 

"Alert me when the process is done, and tell me what all you're implanting. I want to know what commands I can give, and what might...set him back a few steps," he growled before leaving the room.  

 

"...of course sir." the woman said to a now empty room.

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

TBC...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, to anyone who's wondering, we're not anywhere near the ending yeat. In fact, we're only about half-way through.


	9. A Plan of Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a longer chapter to make up for my absence. Finals are coming up in about a week, so I won't be able to update until May. Thanks guys! :)

 

 _"Alert me when the process is done, and tell me what all you're implanting. I want to know what commands I can give, and what might...set him back a few steps," he growled before leaving the room._

_"...of course sir." the woman said to a now empty room._

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

The room was dark when he woke up. Tony blinked his eyes open and stretched, extending his claws and yawning. What had happened? His memory was fuzzy, the last thing he remembered being ~~the human~~ , _his master_ telling him things were going to be okay. 

 

He shrugged and sat down on the cold ground, running his tongue along his paw and grooming himself. He continued this until he found himself clean enough and decided to pace. Tony glanced at the metal thing that attached to his neck and rolled his eyes, wishing his master would get the thing off of him already. 

 

The panther glanced up when the room began to get lighter and lit up himself when he saw his master walk into the room. He may have gotten a little _too_ excited to see the human because he began to ran towards the man happily and ended up choking himself on the metal thing.

 

The human chuckled and walked closer, kneeling down next to where the panther had been yanked back to. "Hey there, buddy. I see that it worked then," he said, scratching behind the animal's ears. Tony purred loudly, butting his head against the human's hand in response. "Better than expected I assume." the human said, sitting down on the cold floor and allowing Tony to crawl into his lap.

 

Tony flopped down onto his master's legs and purred, licking the hand that wasn't currently petting him. The human pulled his hands away, messing with the thing around his neck. Tony perked up, tail whapping against the ground as his master worked. The man pulled the metal thing off and allowed Tony to sniff it, the panther huffing at it and growling.

 

His master tossed the thing away and a sound crackled through the room. “Sir, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Tony heard a male voice emit from nowhere, standing up and tensing up. He growled at the sound, stepping in front of his master to protect him.

 

”Come now, Armand, Tony wouldn’t hurt me, now would you?” The human behind him asks, the panther looking back to find a twisted smile on his face. Tony wasn’t sure what that meant, but he could understand the human’s words well enough. He growled at the disembodied voice once more before turning and curling up on the floor, resting his head on the human’s leg.

 

They stayed like this for was seemed like hours before his master lifted him off and stood, dusting himself off. "Well, I have to go now. Stay here, and be good." he said, walking out of the room and leaving Tony alone.

 

They did this for a number of days, sometimes his master would come in with a treat, like a slab of meat, or if he was lucky, a living slab of meat that he could chase and kill. other times he would come in quietly, and just when Tony thought he may want his affection, his master would pull out a long object and strike him with it. The object would electrocute him, draining him of his energy. 

 

His master would tell him that it was because he had been bad, that he hadn't listened-- that this was what happened when he didn't listen.

 

One day his master came in looking haggard and tired. Tony managed to get him to sit and laid down in his lap. He had been about to fall asleep when he picked up on something faint. It was a quiet whirring noise-- had that always been there? Tony picked up his head the human pausing his movements as the panther looked around, his ears swiveling. He tensed, clambering up in an instant and growling at seemingly nothing. 

 

"What is it, Tony?" the human asked lowly, his voice edged with something sinister. Tony simply continued to growl, slowly moving towards the direction the sound was coming from. He suddenly smelled something different, something that wasn't like his master or his master's weak pride. This smelled dangerous, it smelled big, it smelled...familiar?

 

The animal shook his head and paused, sniffing the air once more to try and identify the mixture of faint scents coming to his nose. He attempted to filter them in his head, coming up with key traits for each. 

 

There was the scent of sweat mixed with dirt, another of metal and leather, one of gunpowder, one of poison and roses, and the most surprising, one that smelled like him-- well, panther that is. He growled at the unwelcome scents; how dare they invade his territory, his master's territory! He snarled and prowled closer to the door, where the scents seemed to waft from. 

 

"Tony...?" his master said slowly, his hand on a metal object connected to his waist. He had a neutral look on his face but made no move, simply watching the animal carefully.

 

Suddenly, the door blasted open, sending both Tony and his master back. Smoke filled the room and debris cluttered the floor, but as Tony rose from the ground, he only felt anger bubble to the surface. How dare these weak creatures attack him! He stood up wobbly and looked around, finding it difficult to see through the smoke. 

 

Tony took a step towards where he heard his master coughing but found a large human- the source of the leather and metal scent, standing before him. "There you are little guy-" the human says, bending down in an attempt to grab him.

 

Tony wouldn't be taken down this easily though.

 

He snarled and swiped at him, his claws catching on the human's armor. Tony tugged on it, trying to get his claw unattached when the human reacts quickly and jerks him off. Tony is sent sliding across the tile of the room, his claws scratching their surface. The panther roared, eyes narrowing on the human as he took off towards him. 

 

He pounced on the man, his jaws open wide with the intent of sinking his fangs into the human's flesh when his master's cry rang in his ears. He lifted his head away from the human and whined, the blonde-haired human below him looking up confusedly. 

 

The small animal lept off him and darted through the smoke, dodging a long sharp object that whirred past him. He growled and came to a stop before his master, who was holding his shoulder in an attempt to keep in what Tony smelled to be blood. 

 

He turned towards the attackers and growled, the human that smelled of roses and poison and the one that smelled of gunpowder pausing to look at him. He snarled at them, his claws digging into the floor beneath him. 

 

He paused for a moment when he noticed the human that smelled of panther take a step forward, ceasing his snarling but remaining tense. His tail whipped back and forth in agitation as the human kneeled down, holding out of hand towards him.

 

"Little one, what happened to you?" he asked slowly, his eyes a mixture of confusion and sadness. "What happened to your eyes..." he whispered, edging closer to Tony. "The intelligence...its gone..." he muttered, getting close enough to touch him. 

 

Tony shook his head as a growl rumbled in the back of his throat, but the human didn't waver. "I've got this one. You two go try to find where they have Stark locked up." the human said slowly, keeping his eyes locked on the panther before him.

 

There was a sharp bark of laughter from behind, and Tony glanced back to find it had come from his master. "Good luck with that," he said with a dark chuckle, his face prideful and malicious. The humans that smelled of gunpowder and rose poison looked at each other and then ran off in a hurry, leaving only the panther human, his master, and Tony. 

 

Why had the panther human said Stark? His master had called him that a few times, was that him? No, maybe it was just a human thing. Tony shook the thought from his head and backed up a bit, getting closer to his master so he would be able to protect him. 

 

"No, little one, stay where you are." his master said, his body stiff as the human who smelled of sweat loomed over his master with a sharp object ready to be fired into him.

 

Tony growled at the sweaty human and turned back to the panther one, his tail swishing in agitation. What had he done to them? What had his master done? They were only trying to live in peace in his master's territory, these humans were in the wrong!

 

The panther man paused, dropping his hand and studying Tony. He then looked up at Tony's master. "Tell him to come with us. I don't know what you've done to him but I can assure you that we are going to reverse this," he said coldly, standing up. "Tell him to come with us or Barton will shoot." 

 

Barton? Why was that name familiar? Tony shook his head, furrowing his brow in confusion. He looked back at his master for guidance but found pure hatred in his eyes as he looked at the panther man. He then smirked and glanced at Tony, then back up to the panther man. 

 

"There's no fixing what I've done to him. Or Stark," he said with a dark chuckle. His master then looked at him. "Go with them. Be a good boy for me, okay?" he said with a dark twinkle in his eyes. 

 

Tony was confused to say the least. Who was this Stark being? Was it him or not? Sometimes his master had called him that, but-- He had just said that he wasn't. He perked up when his master began speaking to him, sitting down at attention. 

 

His frame slumped when he was told to go with the humans that had attacked them. He didn't want to go with these humans! He didn't want to be a spoil of war. His master glared at him and he slumped, standing up and sitting beside the panther human's legs. 

 

"T'Challa!" Tony heard a voice call out, the group looking back to find the poison rose female and the gunpowder male running towards them.

 

"We couldn't find him anywhere." the dark male said, breathing heavily. He put the metal object he had had in his hands in his pocket, but the female kept hers out. "I did manage to get FRIDAY to copy their mainframe onto a drive though." the female said, pulling out a small object and handing it to the panther human.

 

Behind him, his master chuckled. "Good luck with that. Without Stark it'll take you weeks to decrypt that," he said, his voice slightly deranged. "And by that time...all traces of him will be completely gone..." he said with a sickeningly sweet smile. 

 

The panther human glanced down at Tony, who had by this point checked out and was sitting silently at his feet. "We'll just have to decrypt it before then. And fix this little one in the process," he said stoically. "Hawkeye. Once we're outside, neutralize him," he said, walking towards the exit with Tony silently walking behind him.

 

 They left the sweaty human behind, the one that smelled of leather and metal catching up to them quickly. He growled at the human as he got close and padded closer to the panther human. At least with this one, he knew the smell. The leather one he couldn't bring himself to trust for some reason.

 

"What's wrong with him, your highness?" the leather human asked as they walked outside, a flurry of new scents reaching Tony's nose. He paused for a moment to take them all in, closing his eyes and lifting his head to the air. 

 

The panther human paused to watch him. "I think...no...I know that Kraetin did something to him, to his mind. Have you seen his eyes?" he asked slowly, watching Tony quietly take in the air. The blond human nodded. "They used to be a warm brown, but now...they're a sharp yellow, just like the other panthers. The intelligence...it's been replaced with obedience." the darker man said.

 

"That...for some reason that doesn't suit him." the leather man replied. "I don't know what it is, but obedience and that little guy dont seem to go hand in hand." he said quietly.

 

"I know." the panther man replied, patting his leg in an attempt to call Tony. The panther stood and walked behind them into the large metal cage with wings, pausing for only a moment when a gunshot rang out. He growled lowly and continued walking, laying down beside the panther man's feet. 

 

"Tell me again why you didn't bring the War Machine armor, Rhodes?" a new human asked, this one turning around from the front and leaning back in his chair. He smelled like metal, similar to the leather man, but he also smelled like meat.  

 

 _Wait...had that human just said, Rhodes?_ Tony perked up, his brow furrowed in confusion. He shook his head, his claws digging into the metal of the ship. _Rhodes. Why was that familiar? What did that mean to him...? Rhodes...Rhodes....Rhodes.....Rhodey._

 

_Rhodey was here._

 

_Who was Rhodey?_

 

\- - - ⎊ - - - 

 

TBC...


	10. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has a dream and T'Challa tried to figure out the group's next plan of action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wassup! I'm back, I'm done with classes, attempting to dig myself out of the Hetalia grave I've thrown myself into, and trying desperately to get back into Marvel. 
> 
> I kinda drifted from it, the hype for Infinity war becoming a bit too much.
> 
> I still have yet to see it, so please, I BEG OF YOU, DO NOT SPOIL IT. THANOS DEMANDS YOUR SILENCE.
> 
> Anywho, onto the chapter! :D
> 
> (( Graphic descriptions of injury in this one ))

 

 _Rhodey was here._  

_Who was Rhodey?_

 

  _\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

The ride back to Wakanda was quiet for the most part, Tony sitting stoically at the feet of T'Challa. He sighed, his eyes downcast at the thought of having lost his master, possibly for good. He didn't know how he knew that, but somehow he knew that the noise he heard while boarding the strange flying cage signified that his master had gone into the endless sleep. 

 

The humans around him had tried to rouse him, but he ignored them, choosing instead to go over his own thoughts. The group seemed familiar for some reason, and it bugged the animal that he couldn't figure out how he knew them. He laid down on the cool metal floor, closing his eyes in thought.

 

Soon enough, he drifted off to sleep.

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

The panther found himself in a field of wheat, the sun shining brightly over the land and warming his fur. He started to walk through the grain, looking around. He wasn't sure where he was, only that it was peaceful. 

 

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his chest, forcing him to take a sharp breath. The pain made his legs buckle beneath him and caused him to fall to the ground, a cloud of dirt poofing around him. The feline looked down to find blood seeping from his chest, his vision going in and out of focus. He tried to lift himself up but couldn't find the strength. 

 

He let out a pained cry as another stab of pain rippled through his body, more blood flowing from the would. Muscle and sinew showed through his fur, and he began to hack up blood onto the ground. Blood flowed freely from the wound and puddled around his paws, tinging his dark fur even darker as he found it harder to breathe with every passing moment.

 

Another strangled cry emitted from his mouth, looking to the sky as if to ask the Sky Mother 'Why are you doing this to me?!'. Another stab of pain and the animal looked down to find bits of metal protruding from his chest. 

 

Tony tried to stand, to claw at the invading human... _thing_ in his chest, but couldn't find the strength to do anything but whine and pant on the ground. He wanted it to be over, the pain was too much, he just wanted to sleep--

 

The pain suddenly ceased slightly, leaving the animal panting in a puddle of blood. He glanced down at his chest to find a strange, glowing metal circle embedded into his flesh. He furrowed his brows at it, his eyelids drooping out of exhaustion.

 

He lay his head down on the dirt, ignoring the rustling of wheat around him. He couldn't bring himself to care about the obviously human object in his body, breathing heavily as he stared at the sky.

 

He glanced up, lifting his head off the ground when he heard the rustling of wheat get closer, still unable to stand. He saw human hands, dark ones at that, pushing the crop to the side and stepping through it.

 

Tony's vision, though still swimming, found that it was one of the humans from the flying cage-- the one the other humans had called "Rhodes". 

 

"Tones?" the human said, a look of shock and fear in his eyes as he knelt down by the animal.

 

Tony gave the human a confused look-- how did this human know him? Why did he know him well enough for a nickname? He chuffed in reply, laying his head back down as the human came closer. He allowed this, the human seemingly wanting to cause him no harm.

 

"Tony, it's me...It's Rhodey..." the human said, coming closer and laying a hand on the panther's coat. The pain he was feeling dissipated, confusing the animal. "You can trust me, Tones..." the human said, his eyes sad.

 

The animal in question lifted his head once more, glancing down at the object in his chest then back at the human. He sat up, giving this "Rhodes" an unsure look, but when the human made no intention to move, he came closer.

 

He walked towards the human and sniffed him, attempting to get a feel of him, the human's scent being one of metal and something that reminded him of home.

 

Home? Where was that? Why did this human make him think of that? Did he not belong to the jungles?

 

Tony shook his head, looking at the human once more before coming closer and nuzzling against his hands. His touch was warm and sent tingles down his spine, making the panther purr. He then knocked the human over and nuzzled him further, flopping onto him happily and laying his head just below the human's.

 

"It'll be okay, Tony." the human said. "I swear to you it will...you just have to trust me..." the human's voice began to fade as Tony closed his eyes, the world dissapearing around him in a mixture of colors and sounds.

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

Tony woke with a start, eyes snapping open to find himself still on the plane, and with humans watching him closely. He blinked the sleep from his eyes, yawning widely and sitting up. He felt the humans' eyes on him and looked around, meeting none of their gazes.

 

One in particular caught his attention, the one from his dream-- the Rhodes one. Tony stood and padded over to the dark-skinned human, sitting before him and setting his head on his leg.

 

The humans seemed confused by this if the scent radiating off of them were anything to go by. Rhodes looked down at him with his own confusion, but then reached a hand down slowly to rub Tony's fur.

 

"Colonel, are you sure that is wise? That lunatic did something to the little one that--" T'Challa was cut off by purring coming from the panther, who scooted closer to the soldier and closed his eyes. The human's touch was very similar to it had been in his dream, and he enjoyed it. It felt familiar.

 

"We're here." Tony heard the panther human's voice say, opening his eyes and looking up to find the humans standing. The door to the flying cage opened and the humans began to file out, Tony following the Rhodes human as he walked.

 

Tony decided to stick by this human-- there was something pulling him towards the man, couldn't tell what, but he wasn't going to go against his instincts. He followed the group into a large cave-like structure with many panther statues outside as well as some of his own kind milling about.

 

He thought about going to them and seeing just what this place was all about, but decided against it, staying close to the group so as to not lose sight of this 'Rhodey'. They walked through hallways of the large human cave until they came upon a large chamber with many of his own kinds lying about, playing, or eating. 

 

The humans stopped, this seemingly being the place that they were going to stay. Tony took this as a chance to get some information, padding over to another panther, unaware of the human eyes on him.

 

"You. What is this place?" he chuffed to a panther larger than himself who was lounging about on the floor. The panther glanced up at him, tilting his head and yawning.

 

"Aren't you that skin-walker?" he asked lazily, not raising his head from his position on the floor. Tony gave him a confused look, to which the panther rolled his eyes. "The human who walks as one of us," he said with another yawn, his fangs glinting in the sunlight.

 

Tony furrowed his brow. Just what was this animal talking about? He sat down and tilted his own head in confusion. "I don't know what you speak of." his growled, frustration bubbling to the surface. "I want to know why this place is familiar, why I can't remember anything before my master why--" he was cut off by the larger creature.

 

"Hold on, hold on." the animal said, picking himself up off the floor and sitting down. "Your master? Kid, we have no masters. We are our own masters." the panther said lazily, eyeing him with warm yellow eyes. "I know for sure you're that skin-walker, you're too small to be one of us by birth," he said, standing up and circling Tony.

 

"But why you don't remember that confuses me," he said finally, sitting down once more in front of Tony. "Come," he said, standing and bolting off in the opposite direction.

 

Tony obeyed, standing up quickly and pumping his legs to run after the larger panther.

 

"Shouldn't we go after them?" Steve spoke up, after watching the exchange. "You said yourself that he's a runt-- won't they eat him or something?" 

 

T'Challa looked back at the solder. "Rogers, calm down. Zvi is one of my most faithful companions. He has followed me into battle many times and would cause no harm to the little one. Besides, we have a drive to decode." he said, turning on his heel and leading the group down a hall.

 

Rhodey stood there for a moment, watching where the panthers had run off from. He shook his head and turned, following the rest of the group. 

 

  _\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

_TBC..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope ya like, sorry if it's a bit shorter than yall expected, I'm still trying to decide where I want to take this.


	11. Sanctum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony comes to some conclusions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in two days? I'm on a roll~
> 
> Don't expect another one for a bit though, I got some stuff I have to take care of before I can focus on this.

 

_Rhodey stood there for a moment, watching where the panthers had run off from. He shook his head and turned, following the rest of the group._

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

Tony followed the larger panther to the best of his ability, pumping his legs to run faster than he could. His chest burned but he continued to run, following the panther as he ran through foliage and around trees and stone columns. He had no idea where the other was taking him, but he trusted the animal for some reason.

 

The other panther slowed, coming upon a small clearing within the jungle. There were stone slabs covered in ivy randomly lying about, panthers of various sizes lounging about on them. Sunlight trickled through the trees, providing spots for the animals to nap in, which Tony saw some doing. He noticed cubs playing with one another, chasing and nipping at each other before being separated by their mothers.

 

Those that weren't sleeping seemed to be conversing or eating, some laying in the small pond nearby, while others cleansed themselves with their tongues.

 

The place had an aura of calm and tranquility, diminishing any nerves Tony had held before stepping foot there. "Zvi!" Tony heard a female's voice, looking around and spotting a female panther coming up to them. "Zvi, who is this?" she said, looking at Tony. She must be the panther, who Tony now knew to be named Zvi's, mate. 

 

"This is-- this is the skin-walker, I am sure of it, but he does not seem to remember this. He believes that he has a master--" this gained a gasp from the female. "--and I brought him here to find Kimwai to see if she could do anything," he told her, glancing back at Tony.

 

The female gave him a pitying look, walking closer to him. "You poor creature..." she said, butting her head against his shoulder. "Come, we will do our best to help you." 

 

"O-okay-" Tony felt a shiver go down his spine at the contact and followed the pair, looking around as they walked. "This place...it's beautiful," he said quietly, something inside him telling him to stay here, why should he have to go back to the humans? He didn't need them!

 

"Of course, Zvi will take you back once you see Kimwai." the female told him as they led him towards a large cave. Tony paused at the mouth of the cave, a strange sense of dread overcoming him. He looked at the darkness that the cave held and couldn't bring himself to move, something telling him that caves were bad, that caves were where you got hurt, where the metal object embedded in his chest from his dream had come from-- but caves were supposed to be good, weren't they? They were safe.

 

tony shook his head and slowly stepped a paw in, something in the back of his mind screaming at him that it was wrong-- so so very wrong. He pushed past that and continued to follow the panthers until they came upon a large chamber within the cave, a stone slab in the middle with an aged panther resting upon it. 

 

The pair that had led him here sat down before her, Tony taking a seat between them. "Kimwai, we seek your guidance," Zvi said, Tony watching as the elder raised her head and opened her eyes, revealing an almost neon yellow-green hue. She took them in with her gaze and yawned, sitting up slowly. "This is the skinwalker from King T'Challa's kingdom-- he does not remember his life though. He believes himself to have a master, a human one." Zvi continued, curiosity sparking in the elder panther's neon eyes.

 

"No memory whatsoever?" she spoke, her voice strong despite her age. Zvi glanced at Tony, then shook his head. "If this is true, then he must spend time with the humans he belongs with. Whatever has been done to his mind can only be undone with time," she said, her eyes pitying when they fell upon Tony. "Whoever did this wanted something with the power we possess, without the ferocity in our hearts."

 

"Only a skinwalker would possess that-- the mind of a human is easily swayed," she said, her eyes never leaving Tony.

 

The panther in question furrowed his brow. "I'm not human-- I've never been human!" he growled, his anger spiking at such an insult.

 

To his surprise the elder panther chuckled, shaking her head at him. "Whoever did this to you, your...master, as you would think him to be, wanted you not to remember your previous life. He must have wanted to hide something from you, something important," she said, her voice pondering. She lay back down and closed her eyes in thought. "As I said, all we can do now is take him back, allow him to spend time with the humans. Hopefully, that should kickstart something." 

 

Tony looked at Zvi, who seemed to be frustrated, but hid it well. It was obvious though that it hadn't been the solution he was looking for. "Of course, Kimwai. Thank you for your guidance," he said, standing up. He walked out of the cave without another word, Tony and the female following quickly behind.

 

"Come, I will take you back to your kind," Zvi said, glancing over his shoulder as the smaller panther who was taking in his surroundings. He seemed to deflate, glancing between himself and some playing cubs who were about half the skinwalker's size. 

 

"Are you sure I can't stay for longer?" he asked, watching as the cubs nipped and chased one another, getting caught up in the game when they began weaving around him and using him as a barrier for one another. 

 

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

 

Rhodey paced as T'Challa, his sister Shuri, and some of Wakanda's technicians looked over the flash drive and the many, _many_ firewalls and locks it held on it. He rubbed a calloused hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off an oncoming headache. 

 

They had been at this for nearly 20 minutes and hadn't even managed to crack the first security protocol, which meant it would be a _long_ time before they got anything of substance done. Not to mention whatever was on that drive that concerned Tony was time-sensitive, which only served to put the soldier more on edge. 

 

The last time he had felt this nervous over Tony was in 2008, and at least then he had only been dealing with the Ten Rings. This-- this was _Hydra_. Something that has been around since Rogers' time and was still somehow up to no good and always unable to be completely snuffed out. 

 

If he was honest with himself, he wasn't actually nervous. He was scared. Rhodey was scared for the man he had met at MIT, who had burst into their dorm room with a pair of Playboy bunnies on each arm and an offer for Rhodey to join them on their first night of university (Well, Tony's first night anyway- Rhodey had been a sophomore at the time). 

 

He feared for the man who had been his best friend for nearly 20 years, the one who had allowed him to take his suit, to become a hero himself, the man who took time out of his day to develop braces that allowed Rhodey to walk, the man that was willing to give his life to a nuke if it meant saving New York, the man that--

 

He had to stop thinking about this, he was beginning to tear up. _**Calm down, Platypus! You'll figure this out**._  He could hear Tony's confident voice in his head. It would have been reassuring had he not feared for the man's life, the voice only causing him to worry more instead.

 

The soldier sighed and took a seat on a bench just outside the lab the tech-savvy group was in, he himself unable to really understand all of the techno-babble going on within the room. He felt a presence beside him suddenly, and looked to find Vision phasing through the floor and sitting down on the bench next to him.

 

"Vision? Dude, why are you out here instead of in there?" he jerked a thumb to the room behind him, where Shuri had begun to argue with her brother. 

 

"I am, Colonel, Do not forget that I am 'wired to this place' as Mister Stark and King T'Challa would put it." the android replied, tilting his head at the man. "You are tense. I know you fear for Mister Stark, but-"

 

"It's not that I just fear for it Vis..." Rhodey cut him off, standing up suddenly. He could feel the thin metal of the braces under his pants creak as he stood but ignored it. "I- He's my best friend. I don't know what I'd do without him. I don't just fear for his life, I fear for mine as well, because Vision, I swear to God, if he goes--" he paused, taking in a shaky breath.

 

"...Then I do too." 

 

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

 

Tony lay lazily in the sun, basking in the warmth of the sunlight as a gentle breeze blew against his fur. He purred in contentment, his eyes closed as he attempted to sleep. He was wary of this decision, since the last time he had fallen asleep he had gone through an immense amount of pain, but the sunlight had been warm and made him drowsy.

 

Thankfully, it was a dreamless sleep, but it only lasted for about 10 minutes before he felt small paws roaming on top of him. Tony cracked open a single eye to see one of the cubs from before standing on him, staring at his muzzle. 

 

Tony raised an eyebrow, and the cub tried to mimic the movement, only succeeding in raising both eyebrows. "Do you need something of me?" Tony asked groggily, laying his head back on the ground and closing his eye. The cub giggled and plopped down to lay on top of him, making Tony open his eyes fully.

 

"My momma says that you's a skinwalker." the young cub said, tilting his head. "Is that true?"

 

Tony closed his eyes. "I don't know..." he answered honestly. "Zvi says I am, but I have no memories of being human, I remember roaming the jungles, I remember being a cub like you-" he paused. Did he remember that? He thought about it, the memories he tried to conjure were blurry, fuzzy at best. He shook his head in frustration.

 

"Tony."

 

By this point in time, Zvi had stopped calling him 'Skinwalker' and was using his actual name, but the tone of his voice made the panther in question dread his next words. "Come, It is time that you return to your own kind." he said, casting a shadow over him as the cub scrambled up and ran off.

 

"Oh come on, Zvi, why do I have to return? Why can't I stay here?" he questioned, rolling off his back and into a sitting position.

 

"You do not belong here, Tony." 

 

Tony felt himself divided in two-- one part of him told him that this was where he belonged, with his own kind, free to do as he pleased and unburdened with anything else, but another part told him that this was wrong, he wasn't one of them, his place was back with the humans, stop being so selfish and go home!

 

Tony shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts of the arguing sides. It was beginning to give him a headache when one thought rang out in his mind that snapped him out of his haze.

 

_What would Rhodey think?_

 

Tony's eyes widened, dread gripping him. He wasn't sure why, or just why that human could mean so much to him, but he knew that he needed to get back to him and fast. 

 

"Let's go." Tony replied, standing up quickly. "I- I have to go back, I have to see him-" he wasn't sure jsut what was pushing him, but the need to be back with this human, to confort him, just to see him again-- it was enough to make Tony panic at the fact that they weren't moving yet.

 

"Okay, follow me." Zvi said, padding away from him.

 

So he did.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask em'!
> 
> Okay so "skin-walker" isn't the monster in this fic. In this fic a "skin-walker" is a being who gets turned into/turns into another creature or "walks" in another creature's skin.
> 
> Hope that clears up any confusion :3


	12. Conclusions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhodey and Vision attempt to collect their thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyyyyyyy~ >:)
> 
> (extra long chapter by the way, I kinda got carried away with this one lol)

 

_"Okay, follow me," Zvi said, padding away from him._

_So he did._

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

By the time the pair made it back to T'Challa's palace, the sun was sitting on the horizon. Tony followed Zvi through the human-cave's corridors until they came upon a human; a group of them in fact, arguing with one another. The panthers rolled their eyes and Zvi left Tony with them, muttering something like "your kind and your arguing..." under his breath. 

 

Tony padded into the room, glancing around at the humans. By this point, he had had the chance to calm down and gather his thoughts, and he saw the humans as less of a threat and more of a puzzle that he needed to solve. He furrowed his brow at the group as they argued, over what he didn't care, but looked up to find the Rhodes human sitting on a table next to a strange red and green human-- no, not human-- it smelled somewhat like a human, but then again it smelled man-made. 

 

He tilted his head at the, what he would call, non-Human, which gained the attention of said being. "Oh. Is this the animal you have spoken of?" it said, sliding off the table. The fabric hanging from the non-human's shoulders ruffled behind it as it crouched to be on Tony's level. "Hello, there. I am the Vision, but most everyone just calls me Vision." it said, confusing Tony further. 

 

So it was called Vision then. Tony filed that information away and tilted his head at the non-human, sniffing the hand it had extended to him. Strangely, Vision smelled familiar too, but the panther had no recollection of his appearance. The non-human's scent was one that we couldn't place a picture to, only a vague feeling, a voice, and a golden glow. It confused him greatly, but he found himself drawn to Vision.

 

He allowed the non-human to pet him, sitting down on the cool floor as Rhodes stood as well. He too, crouched down, smiling at Tony gently. "Come on, little guy, why don't we get out of the way before this place gets violent?" he said, scratching the top of Tony's head before he stood, gesturing for Vision and Tony to follow him.

 

The pair shared a look and did as silently instructed, following the ebony-skinned man as he walked down the corridor. Soon, they came to a large room, one with a strange nest against the wall that looked very soft, as well as a large metal thing with a handle and a counter in front. 

 

"I am glad there is no one else in the lounge. I do not think I could handle the A-- Captain Rogers' team at the moment." Vision said, sitting down on the strange nest. Rhodes nodded, taking a seat next to him.

 

"I feel you there, buddy. I need a minute to collect my thoughts. Not to mention it makes my blood boil every time I see Clint or Wanda-- their presence just reminds me of how little they care about Tones..." 

 

Tony could feel the anger beginning to radiate off the human before he quenched it, leaning back in the strange nest and closing his eyes. "I just want that drive decoded as fast as possible so we can get him and get out of this place," he muttered.

 

Tony tilted his head at the man, padding closer and laying across his feet. Guilt, mistrust, and sadness rolled off the man in waves, and something in Tony told him to comfort the man, so he did his best. He purred loudly as he lay on Rhodes' feet, glancing up when the man leaned forward to look down at him.

 

"Come on, get up here..." Rhodes said quietly, patting his lap. Tony didn't understand the gesture but hopped up anyway, noticing the man's wince at the sudden weight on his legs. The panther suddenly felt very guilty, but he didn't know why-- it had something to do with the human's legs, but they looked fine, was something wrong with them?

 

"Yikes, even he seemed to notice..." Rhodes said off-handedly, looking down at the panther's concerned eyes and then up at Vision's. Tony moved off the human's legs and laid down on the long, plush nest, choosing to rest his head on the human's leg instead.

 

The man looked grateful and tentatively put his hand on the animal's head. He scratched gently, rubbing Tony's ears while looking up at the ceiling. He seemed to be deep in thought as he absently began to pet longer strokes on Tony's head, running his hand from just above his brow to the back of his neck.

 

The panther purred at the sensation, although he would admit a part of him was telling him that it was beneath him to allow this human to treat him as a common pet, another part told him that this was a human he could trust-- that this man was close to him, he just couldn't remember why...

 

It was then that Tony realized the human was talking, and that his hands had begun to scratch the thicker fur that surrounded the back of his neck. "I mean, that flash drive can _not_ be the only key to Tony's disappearance. There's gotta be something else. I mean, why would he even be in the hands of Hyrda in the first place, let alone Wakanda?" Rhodes asked, scratching a spot that made Tony melt.

 

He didn't concentrate on the man that pet him's words, only that he was scratching in all the right spots.

 

"Perhaps he came to discuss terms of peace with Rogers and his group?" Vision supplied, though the android didn't think that the group in question would receive the billionaire politely. 

 

"I dunno. He was working on amendments to the accords just before he vanished-- He almost had them done, too, they would have pardoned Rogers and the rest of them, he just would have needed..." the man trailed off, brow furrowing when his hand came across something peculiar in the panther's fur.

 

The skin where he was touched had been rough, with thinner fur than what he had previously been petting. It wasn't as smooth or as soft as the fur that surrounded it, and was a strange shape. Rhodey ran his fingers gently along what he could only assume was scar tissue, brow furrowing further when it seemed to be in the shape of a circle.

 

Rhodey drew back his hand suddenly as if it had caught fire, drawing it in close to his chest and staring wide-eyed down at the animal who had its head lazily resting on his leg.

 

It couldn't be, could it?

 

There was nothing that would support that conclusion, only the strange scar tissue he felt.

 

The idea was ludicrous. Insane. Absolutely outlandish. 

 

But... if it _were_ true?

 

Rhodey shook his head. No, that conclusion just couldn't be right. If it were, then, the animal would have tried to tell him, he would have figured out a way to communicate with him, wouldn't he?

 

The panther in question raised its head to look into Rhodey's eyes, the animal's dull yellow ones looking clouded and sleepy. Had they always looked this way? For that matter, hadn't T'Challa said this one's eyes had been--

 

An audible gasp escaped from the colonel's lips, eyes widening when the panther yawned, its head stretching back and giving him a clear view of its chest.

 

In the center, was a nearly unnoticeable, (unless you were looking for it) patch of thinning fur in the center of its chest. Raised tissue covered the patch in a criss-cross manner, as he could see that it was slightly pink underneath the coal-colored fur.

 

Tears welled in his eyes. He had no proof, the brown eyes could be a genetic defect, the scar could be from something entirely unrelated, a poacher's weapon or fight with another animal, but a deep, tugging feeling down in his gut told him that he was right. 

 

That it was Tony sitting before him.

 

Rhodey couldn't help the overwhelming emotion in him-- he wrapped his arms around the panther and pulled him in tight, grasping onto the animal for dear life. It suddenly started to struggle against his arms, a deep 'MRRR' sound coming from the animal's throat. 

 

"T-To-" was all Rhodey could get out before the animal mewled and clawed at his chest in an attempt to flee.

 

He released the panther immediately, clutching his chest as pain blossomed in his sternum. The panther, _Tony_ , was on the floor by this point, his claws extended, eyes sharpened to slits, and tail swishing back and forth dangerously.

 

He growled, taking tentative steps backward as he kept his eyes locked on Rhodey. A mixture of betrayal and confusion swept over the colonel as Vision was suddenly at his side, shielding him from the panther with his own body. Rhodey couldn't see Tony, he didn't have a visual lock on him-- 

 

He didn't see him slip away.

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

Tony had been confused when the human, Rhodes, had started looking at him strangely, then suddenly grabbed him and pulled him tight against the human's chest. It was constricting, something in his mind told him it was too tight, he wasn't supposed to be trapped like this, that he needed to fight back in order to survive-- another told him that the thing trapping him wouldn't hurt him, but the first voice won out. 

 

He sunk his claws into the human's chest, a growl emitting from his throat as he was suddenly dropped and left scrambling on the floor. The Not-Human, Vision, had been at Rhodes' aide in an instant, glancing between the blood seeping from the human's chest and Tony. 

 

The panther could sense a dangerously angry aura growing from the Not-Human, its eyes glowing danerously, so he did the only reasonable thing he could think of: he fled.

 

Tony bolted out of the room and down the hallway, his legs pumping as fast as they would go. He was panicked, afraid the Not-Human would be on his tail as he rounded a corner and continued running. 

 

He bolted past the room filled with humans arguing over something or other and gained the attention of such humans. The Panther human watched him run and Tony glanced back to find confusion and worry present in his eyes, then looked at the hall where the animal had just come from.

 

Tony looked ahead once more and continued running, not stopping once he reached the chamber that held more of his kind, not stopping at the sight of Zvi lounging about, and not stopping at the surprised look of the female human who had healed him. 

 

The animal continued running until he was outside, his legs already growing tired but he continued to run, panic overriding every sensible thought he could have had. Tony ran through the village and into the jungle, not knowing where he was going, just knowing that he needed to **GET AWAY**.

 

His heart was pounding by the time he slowed down, reaching a small clearing surrounded by trees. Tony could hear a small stream nearby and took the moment of peace to collapse in the grass. He panted heavily, the sun beaming down on him as he attempted to regain control over his lungs and thoughts.

 

 Around him the area was calm, but this did nothing to calm what was going on inside his head. 

 

Part of him was yelling to go back to the human cave, that the 'Rhodes' human had figured something out that was important, but another part, a louder part, was telling him to just abandon the humans already. To go further into the jungle and just leave it all behind.

 

The conflict in his mind made him dizzy, forcing the panther to shut his eyes tightly to keep the world around him from spinning.

 

He laid his head down on his paws with a soft whine, the warring sides in his head only serving to confuse him further. For now, he would stay here, there was a stream nearby from what he'd heard, and Tony was sure there was prey around here...

 

He could make this work for now, until he could figure out what to do with himself.

 

All he had to do was breathe.

 

\- - - ⎊ - - - 

 

**TBC...**

 

  


	13. A Decision is Made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a couple of things:
> 
> To reiterate what all I've seen when it comes to MCU (cause that's the universe this is set in) I have seen some of Black Panther (I know somewhat of what Wakanda looks like, it seems to be more mountainous while I had envisioned more of a savanna-like place surrounded by mountains and jungle) If im honest, I only could get through about 30 minutes of the movie before I got bored, cause it kinda just seemed like "here are some of the repercussions of Civil War, here's some background info on T'Challa, here's a movie to hold you over until Infinity War."
> 
> Speaking of Infinity War: No. I have not seen it. I haven't had the money to go see it, so please, for the love of everything that is holy, do not reference the movie, do not put spoilers in the comments, because if I see something like that, I will delete this fic altogether.
> 
> Now that that's outta the way, enjoy the fic :)

\- - - ⎊ - - - 

 

_He could make this work for now, until he could figure out what to do with himself._

_All he had to do was breathe._

 

\- - - ⎊ - - - 

 

 Rhodey sat on the floor against the couch clutching his chest as Vision kneeled over him, his own hands pressing against the cloth of his shirt in an attempt to staunch the wound. "Your Highness." Vision said, the android's voice echoing in the room, and if Rhodey had to guess, throughout the embassy. Had he been able to think straight, he would have chuckled at the android-- he was much similar to JARVIS than he knew. 

 

"Rho-- James has been injured. We require your assistance, please bring medical supplies. This is urgent." the android's voice said, the sound suddenly cut out as Vision blinked and tore off a swatch of his cape and applied it to Rhodey's increasingly red chest.

 

"Did King T'Challa not say that the panthers did not normally attack?" he asked slowly, looking up at Rhodey as the former Colonel let his hands rest at his sides. His breath was ragged and uneven, but his mind was racing. He couldn't stop thinking about Tony-- even after he had attacked him, he was sure it was him-- and how he had managed to disappear within seconds. 

 

He coughed, his frame aching from the movement. Suddenly, T'Challa was in the room, along with a couple of medicinal workers and Steve and his crew in tow. The various former-heroes' eyes widened at the sight, color draining from some of their faces as the watched the crippled man bleed out before them.

 

Steve looked like he was about to jump in and attempt to help, but he was (barely) held back by Sam, who shook his head. 

 

Rhodey was thankful to the Vet and winced as the professionals took over for Vision. He was lifted onto a cot and wheeled out of the room, the former heroes making a path for them. Vision followed suit, his hands and armor stained red. 

 

T'Challa walked briskly alongside his cot as Rhodey desperately tried to communicate before the darkness that tinged the corners of his vision could encompass him fully. "To-" he winced as they turned a corner, T'Challa furrowing his brow. "Pan-" Rhodey bit out again, coughing up blood.

 

"Please, don't stress yourself right now, Rhodes." T'Challa tried, taking hold of the man's bloody hand as they rolled him towards the emergency room in the medical wing. "I saw the young one run from this direction and was on my way here when Vision alerted us. Was it the panther that did this?" he asked, dread in his eyes. While it was true they were wild animals, never in the history of Wakanda had one ever attacked someone within the embassy. 

 

Rhodey shook his head weakly, dark eyes boring into the King's. He wasn't listening, the king could jump to conclusions if he couldn't get this out. He HAD to tell T'Challa. He was the only one Rhodey could trust with this, he was the only one that wouldn't take advantage of Tony in his current condition, the _only_ one who could help him. "Ton- P-Pan-" he was interrupted again why a cough, more blood splattering onto his already blood-red clothing. 

 

"Rest, my friend." T'Chala tried again, his brow furrowed. Rhodey swatted a hand away and grabbed the King by his collar, pulling him down close. "T-Tony-" he breathed, devolving into another coughing fit and laying down on the cot. They finally made it to the medical room, T'Challa more worried about the words coming from the colonel's mouth than anything his assistants were saying to him. 

 

"Tony? What- what about Tony?" he asked, allowing Rhodes to grab his tunic and pull him in close. 

 

The man's words were quiet. not even above a whisper. Blood stained the corner of his mouth. HIs voice was scratchy and his eyes hazy. But his words were crystal clear. 

 

"Tony...P-Panther." 

 

T'Challa froze, time seeming to slow around him. He didn't notice Rhodes finally succumb to his wounds and pass out, nor did he notice when he sister came in and pulled him out by the arm so the physicians could work. the words he'd been told, they rattled in his mind, looping in his ears. 

 

But-- what they meant?

 

The couldn't be true. It wasn't possible, was it?

 

What was he talking about, of course, it was possible, they lived in a world inhabited by super-powered beings, Gods from other realms, magic, technology beyond comprehension- anything was possible.

 

T'Challa tense when he felt a hand on his shoulder, snapping out of his trance and looking back to find a concerned Steve standing behind him, the rest of his group scattered about the hall. 

 

"Your Majesty?" the ex-soldier questioned. "What's going on, sire- Shuri said that your doctors are the best, so Rhodes should pull through, right?" he asked, genuine concern laced in his blue eyes.

 

The king blinked, letting out a shuttering breath. "Y-yes," he said absently, his mind still partly on the realization he'd come to. He had so many questions, o many jumbled things whirling in his mind he didn't know where to start.

 

Was the runt really Tony? If so- why would he have attacked Rhodes...? How did he get in this state? Was there a way to get him back to normal? Could whats on the hard drive give him some sort of clue? The hard drive-- the agent's words...

 

_**"Good luck with that. Without Stark it'll take you weeks to decrypt that...and by that time...all traces of him will be completely gone..."** _

 

So that's what he'd meant.

 

Tony was _losing_ _himself_. 

 

T'Challa's eyes widened and he took off in a dead sprint down the hall, leaving a stunned and concerned Rogers and company in his wake. His shoes squeaked on the marble as he ran, turning the corner quickly only to crash full force into someone. Both he and the person he his fell back onto the floor, T'Challa growling under his breath at the obstacle. 

 

He looked up to see Barnes sitting on the floor in front of him, his long hair tied back in a ponytail and clad in a large hoodie. His prosthetic arm (a real one for once) brushed his hair out of his face. The ex-assassin looked at him with surprise but said nothing. 

 

"I apologize, Barnes, but what are you doing out here?" he asked, taking a moment to check on the man who'd he'd been helping for quite some time. He had given Barnes the chance to try therapy, as well as give him his own room away from everyone else. That was how the man seemed to like it, so it was odd to see him out and about. 

 

It took the brunet a moment to find his words, and when he did he spoke softly. "I heard yelling and smelled blood...I was concerned," he said, looking to his feet. T'Challa nodded, glancing in the direction he'd just come from. 

 

"Well, Rhodes was attacked by T- by a panther runt. He's in the infirmary, but for now, I have somewhere I desperately need to be--" 

 

"You're not going to hunt it down, are you?" The brunet piped up suddenly, concern in his dark eyes. "I mean, I don't think you would be the type to seek revenge on the animal, what being your culture and such, but..." he trailed off, seemingly afraid he'd overstepped his boundaries.

 

T'Challa paused, glancing towards the exit and back at Barnes. "...No," he said calmly, clenching his fist. "I can assure you, I will try my hardest to see that no harm comes to him." the king replied, his gaze steely. "Now if you'll excuse me,"

 

"I have to find a friend." 

 

With that, T'Challa took off again, leaving the ex-assassin alone in the hallway. Barnes watched him run off and looked in the direction he had come from, thinking over his next move. There were too many variables of what could happen were he to go to the infirmary, and he really didn't feel like being babied by Steve. If he followed _T'challa_ however...

 

He took off after the king. 

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

By the time T'Challa had made it out of the palace, the sun was on the edge of the horizon, just about to touch the land. He growled in frustration, realizing he only had a limited amount of light left to look for the renegade animal, and knowing it would be next to impossible to navigate the jungle at night, even with his experience.

 

He looked around for any sign of Tony, (which in itself was a thought he didn't want to dwell on) but found none on the surface. He spoke with some women who told him they'd seen a small panther runt run through the village, and he took the lead and ran with it. 

 

T'Challa followed the path the women had told him the panther had gone, though he grew frustrated when a shopkeep told him he'd seen the animal run off into the jungle. There was practically no way to track him then, he'd have to turn around the look for him tomorrow. 

 

Anxiety gnawed at his insides, the thought of his lost and previously thought dead colleague, lost in a jungle he didn't know, probably confused and unable to make heads or tails of his own situation filling him with dread.

 

He begrudgingly turned to walk back towards the palace, only to find Barnes following him. The man wasn't hard to spot, he stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the sea of Wakandans, but just why the man was following him confused the King.

 

"Barnes?" T'Challa asked, tilting his head in question.

 

"You're looking for the panther, right?" The brunet asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "I...um, well, I can track him if you want. I have the skills," he said, anxiety present in his eyes. The man shifted in place, glancing between T'Challa and the brush behind him. "I may not know the jungle well, but I can track something better than anyone else, and I'm sure we can figure something out to help us find our way back here."

 

T"Challa paused, mulling over the thought with a furrowed brow. He wasn't sure this was good for the man, he was still weak and wasn't as strong with the generic prosthetic he had now. But he had a point-- while T'Challa may be a gifted tracker, there was no one he could think of that would be better for the situation than Barnes- he was trained for things like this. 

 

"...Fine," he said finally, glancing at the brush behind him. He grabbed a torch from one of the many stands around town and steeled his gaze. "We have to hurry."

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

**TBC...**

 

 

 


	14. Capture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I KNOW Barnes has a metal arm in Infinity War, but IDFC. This is essentially an AU at this point, we've left the realm of possibility and I probs won't even mention Infinity War in this fic, so for now, him gots a normal prosthetic.

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

_"...Fine," the king said finally, glancing at the brush behind him. He grabbed a torch from one of the many stands around town and steeled his gaze, looking Barnes dead in the eyes. "But we have to hurry."_

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

 The sun was beginning to melt into the horizon as they trekked through the dense jungle, Barnes, and T'Challa moving slowly and carefully. James _(as T'Challa had found out that he preferred to be called now)_ knelt down, placing his fingers on a pawprint. "Are these the runt's?" he asked, glancing back towards T'Challa. 

 

The King held the torch closer to the imprint and nodded, a picture of the small animal's miniscule paws appearing in his mind. Barned nodded once and looked at them, then up and at the vegetation that surrounded them. "He's a runt, right? So instead of the standard 2 1/2 foot, he'd lean more towards 1 1/2 or 2..." the brunet muttered. "He shoulders would come to here-" he said, running his fingers along the bark of a tree. 

 

"Aha," James said, spotting some black hairs stuck in the bark. "It could be any panther's, really, I'm sure they use trees for scratching or something, but my gut tells me this is your runt," he said, holding the hair up between his fingertips for T'Challa to see.

 

The king nodded once-- they could only hope, it was their best bet to follow the trail, and pray that they found Tony before someone or something else did.

 

"Lead the way then," T'Challa said, to which Barnes gave a small smirk.

 

"Right-o." 

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

Tony stayed in the same spot for what felt like hours until the sun was resting on the edge of the sky. He felt his stomach growl, which pulled him from his stupor. The small panther sat up, yawning widely. He looked around, confused for a moment about just where he was when he suddenly remembered the events that had led him here.

 

A wave of guilt crashed into him, though he wasn't sure why. He was sure he hadn't done anything wrong-- I mean, he had somewhat hurt the human, but he shouldn't have been trying to trap Tony!

 

The panther stretched, his claws digging into the warm soil beneath him. he shook his fur out in an attempt to settle both it and his thoughts, though only the former was accomplished. Tony padded over to the stream and lapped at the water, mulling over the thought of stretching his legs and hunting down some prey. His stomach growled, a sign that something needed to be done to fill it soon, but he rolled his eyes at the sound and continued to drink.

 

It wasn't until they were almost on top of him that he noticed they were there. 

 

Tony's head shot up at the sound of leaves crunching, his hackles raised and he turned to face whatever threat was coming closer. A low growl came from his throat as he bared his fangs, lowering himself to the ground so that he could pounce if need be. 

 

When nothing came out of the brush, he took a small step forward, growling louder. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder as something came flying out of the brush, sticking into him. He glanced at it and growled, pawing at it in an attempt to get it off of him. 

 

He began to feel dizzy, swaying on his feet as his vision seemed to multiply. He looked up to find two things- humans, his brain supplied, stepping carefully out of the vegetation. One, he recognized as the human version of his own kind- the other, part of him was oblivious to this man, but the other part reeled back in fear and loathing. 

 

He hissed at the pair, taking a step towards them with his fangs bared. Turns out that was a bad idea because his legs collapsed beneath him. The last thing he saw was the pair of humans standing over him- then everything was shrouded in darkness.

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

By the time T'Challa and Barnes had actually found Tony, the king had begun to worry that all hope was lost. James was crouched on the ground staring through the brush when he suddenly lit up, looking back at the king. "There he is- I think," he said in a hushed tone, motioning with his head for the royal to take a look.

 

T'Challa did and saw Tony lapping from the stream nearby. He grinned at the sight, happy to find the panther unharmed and uncaptured. "We have to sedate him. He'll never come willingly," he said after a moment, digging in his tunic for something.

 

James raised an eyebrow and glanced back at the panther, then to T'Challa. "Wait, but don't you have some like, mystic mumbo jumbo over these guys? Can't you just will it to come back with us?" he whispered, watching as the king pulled out a dart and a blowgun. 

 

"No. I have respect for them, so they return the favor," he said simply, lining up a shot.

 

"Then is it really necessary to put him to sleep? Won't he just-"

 

The ex-assassin was cut off by the sound of the dart sailing through the air and hitting its target, who had already become suspicious of them. "No. Tony may not know who he is but he'll always be a stubborn ass." the king replied offhandedly, seemingly unaware of what he'd just revealed.

 

It then seemed to come to him a moment later.

 

"...Shit," T'Challa said, regal as ever. He glanced at Barnes, who was staring wide-eyed and silently at him and came out of the brush to avoid any questioning. He watched Tony growl at him and take a lazy swipe before the animal was out like a light. 

 

The king sighed, walking up to his comrade and setting a hand on his fur. He pulled out the dart and discarded it, running his hand along the animal's coat. "Don't worry, friend. I'll fix this," he whispered as he attempted to pull the animal onto his arms. 

 

"Here, T'Challa, let me-" James spoke up, radiating unease as he carefully took the panther from T'Challa and held it as if he were holding a small dog, on its back in his arms like a baby. The king was hesitant to let him keep Tony in his arms, but the soldier hadn't seemed to give any other reaction besides wide eyes, so maybe he didn't believe him? 

 

He could only hope. 

 

"Come on then. I think I can retrace our steps." T'Challa said, picking up the torch he'd discarded when he pulled out the blowgun. "We have to hurry, this place is dangerous once it gets dark," he told the brunet, looking up to see the sun halfway into the horizon. 

 

T'Challa led them through the dense vegetation, neither men speaking as he made their trek. After a moment, Barnes cleared his throat.

 

"You- What you said back there...about 'Tony'..." he started off, the king inwardly wincing because _of course_ , he couldn't get off clean from that slip-up. "You...you didn't mean Stark, d-did you?" his voice was hesitant and quiet- as if he was afraid his words would get him punished. 

 

T'Challa sighed. He knew that Barnes was a smart man, he would figure it out if he said nothing, and if he were to lie; well how would he cover that up? The king paused, looking back at him. "I did," he said finally.

 

James seemed to let out a breath, shifting the panther on his shoulders. "A-And he doesn't know who he is, you said?" the man seemed to be suddenly put on edge by the fact that he was actually carrying Stark. 

 

"No. I don't believe so. He attacked Rhodes, and in any situation, that man is more likely to give his own life to protect Rhodes', he would never threaten it." T'Challa replied, turning back and continuing to walk. 

 

Barnes was quiet after that, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. He could tell the man had questions, but until he came out and asked them, T'Challa could offer no answers. 

 

Eventually, the pair reached the end of the dense brush, coming out into the middle of the marketplace. People were packing up and putting their goods away, the usual nightly routine. T'Challa grinned and set the torch he had on an empty stand, dusting his hands off and glancing at Barnes. 

 

He was looking around, watching the various shopkeeps and looking at their goods. The panther slung over his shoulders was still out cold, and it was quite the sight- but the king had no time to dwell on this. "Barnes let's go," he said finally, heading back towards the palace with the ex-assassin in tow.

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

By the time the pair could get Tony into one of the holding cells they used when a panther was being treated for disease or injury, he was already beginning to wake. T'Challa had Barnes set him down and get out just before the small animal woke, his eyes fluttering open to reveal a dull brownish yellow. He had hoped that they may be that honey brown they were supposed to be, but T'Challa knew that was a long shot. 

 

He stood beside James as Tony slowly got up and took in his surroundings. He glanced at the pair and hissed, fur on his back raised and claws extended. T'Challa sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He sighed, watching as Tony began to pace about the cell, a growl rumbling in his throat.

 

"You sure that's Stark?" Barnes asked quietly, glancing at T'Challa with a raised eyebrow before looking back at Tony, who was currently scratching and sniffing at the glass wall near him. "I mean, no offense, your majesty, but..." he swallowed thickly, his words hanging in the air.

 

"Trust me, Barnes, that's him. He just doesn't know it." the king replied, watching as Tony growled in what he could only assume to be frustration and climbed up a tree to lay on its branches, staring at them angrily. He hissed again and turned over so that his back was facing them.

 

"Well, he sure doesn't like being contained..." James said, before taking a step back. "I, uh, I'd better get back to my quarters. It's getting late," he said quietly, slipping out the door without another word. T'Challa only nodded in response- his mind was elsewhere already.

 

He turned and marched out the door, hurrying back to the lab. He had to decrypt that file, and he had to do it now. 

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

When Tony came to again, he found himself in a strange area- in front of him lay the humans' large cave, yet behind him lay jungle and vegetation. Was he dreaming? He attempted to stand up, only to find himself weak in the legs.

 

So not dreaming then. He glanced around, only to find the panther human and the human that his brain told him he should be afraid of standing there, watching him. He fought the urge to attack them then and there and settled for hissing at them. He attempted to walk around them, unsure of why they had brought him back to their cave but not wanting to stick around to find out.

 

Only...he didn't get very far. He found himself bumping into some invisible thing, something that kept him from reaching where he wanted to go. He could see through it, so why couldn't he GO through it? Tony lifted himself up and put his paws on the invisible wall of some kind, growling as he brought his claws down it, making an ungodly sound as he did. 

 

He growled at the wall and began to pace, panic beginning to set in. He looked up at the humans and hissed at them, finding a tree and climbing up it. It was a small tree, but it would do for now. He laid down and watched the humans angrily, hissing at them for trapping him. Tony then turned over and ignored them, trying to think of a way to escape. His stomach rumbled again, reminding him that he still hadn't eaten.

 

He tried to ignore it and sleep, but his body wouldn't allow that. Instead, his stomach growled louder, to which Tony responded to by hopping out of the tree and beginning the search for some prey. 

 

After a solid 10 minutes of searching, the animal found that not only was there zero prey in this area but that there was a large, green wall on one side of the area and the strange clear wall that surrounded him like a dome. Tony roared in anger and frustration, his hunger beginning to get to him. 

 

Suddenly, he heard a noise, his ears swiveling and locating it. Tony ran towards the sound, coming to a screeching halt when he found a pile of deceased prey just waiting for him. He looked around for its source, but when he found none, he decided that filling his stomach was more important than where the food had actually come from.

 

Tony dug in, clamping down on the raw meat and bones, unaware of the eyes watching him.

 

\- - - ⎊ - - -

 

**TBC...**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be out on August 5th!


	15. Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Certain people realize certain things.
> 
>  
> 
> Next Update: August 9th!

 

 - - - ⎊ - - -

 

_Tony dug in, clamping down on the raw meat and bones, unaware of the eyes watching him._

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

James left the large room and ran a hand through his now messy ponytail, taking it down and putting it back up as he walked. He had hoped to make it back to his quarters and clear his head so he could try to make sense of all of the this, but it seemed that luck wasn't in his favor today since he ended up running into Steve and his group, who seemed to be coming from the medical wing. 

 

He was tempted to avoid them, but that would cause a whole slew of questions from Steve, and then the man would get all butt-hurt-- no, it was better just to interact and get it over with. They were probably on their way to see Stark anyways, maybe if he just told them where the genius was, they'd hurry off to see the panther and leave him alone. 

 

He heard a chipper "Bucky!", the name making him wince. Steve should know that by this point the person he's thinking of is dead...but he's always known the blonde to be a stubborn one. Barnes felt the taller man's hand on his shoulder and looked up to meet his bright blue eyes.

 

"Hey, pal, where ya headed?" Steve asked, tilting his head in question. James blinked and glanced at the rest of his group.

 

"I just got done helping T'Challa with Stark, I was going to go back to my quarters--" 

 

He was cut off by Clint, whose expression and action of stopping in his tracks silenced the ex-assassin. "Whoa whoa whoa, hold on, did you say that bastard was _in the palace?!_ " he asked, anger rolling off him in waves.

 

The witch seemed to grow tense as well, anger bubbling under the surface alongside Clint. Whereas those two grew angry with the information, Steve, Sam, and Natasha seemed to pale. "He- They found him?" Steve asked, his grip tightening.

 

Barnes winced at the pressure on his shoulder, grabbing the man's hand and taking it off him. "Yea. T'Challa and I found him out in the jungle. He's in one of those habitat things." he said slowly- had they not been informed that T'Challa and he had found the genius?

 

Maybe the king had wanted to keep it from this group... Barnes winced, fearing he may have just revealed the billionaire's whereabouts against the T'Challa's wishes. He hoped they wouldn't try to start anything...

 

A snort of laughter coming from Clint brought him out of his thoughts. "Hold on, so they-" he laughed, covering his mouth with his hand. When he removed it, Barnes could tell he was trying _very_ hard not to lose it. "They put him in an animal pen?!" he asked, a wide and wicked smile on his face. 

 

"...yes...?" was all Barnes could say since he was growing more confused with every moment. "Uh, right down there." he pointed down the hall that he'd just come from. "I...i'm gonna go get some sleep.," he said, removing himself from the group and continuing onward. He looked over his shoulder to see the group making their way to the room, Clint still trying to withhold his laughter.

 

The ex-assassin rolled his eyes and continued walking towards his room-- they didn't look like they would cause too much trouble...

 

He was too old for this.

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

When the group stepped into the large holding facility, they noticed that there were four different chambers in the circular room, three of them dark and vacant, while one had lights on. Clint took off in a dead sprint towards the glass wall that made up the outside of the cell, a devilish grin on his face. It turned to confusion after a moment, his eyes darting around the habitat.

 

The rest followed suit, coming up to the glass to get a look at Stark. If he was honest, Sam was a bit worried that he had been put inside a pen, and had been very confused when Barnes had told them that's where he was. Had something happened to him? 

 

The ex-soldier placed his hands on the glass and found just why Clint had been so confused- the pen was empty, save for a small panther that was pacing the floor. The animal didn't seem to notice them as it paced. 

 

"The hell?" the archer questioned, shifting his weight on his feet. "Where's Stark? Why's there a panther in here?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

 

Sam's eyebrows knit together as well-- surely T'Challa wouldn't put the man in the same cage as a wild animal, would he? But Barnes had said Stark was in here.

 

"Could Bucky have been pullin' our legs?" Steve asked, rubbing the back of his neck as the panther seemingly searched for food. Sam paused at the thought, thinking back to how the soldier had been acting. 

 

"No, I think he was serious. But T'Challa wouldn't put him in the same cage as a wild animal--" Sam was interrupted by what seemed to be a frustrated roar coming from the panther, followed by a loud growl. 

 

The group looked up to find a young woman come through the large doors immediately after the sound, wheeling a cart in front of her. On the cart sat a pile of raw meat, to which the women paid no attention to. She glanced at the group and then to the panther, her eyes filling with sadness.

 

"Pity, isn't it?" she said after a moment, picking up the large plate of meat. "His royal highness must have told you what happened to Mister Stark here, I just can't imagine..." she trailed off, shaking her head as she placed the meat in a compartment and slid it shut.

 

"To be reduced to this..." the young woman spoke up once more, shaking her head as the meat dropped into the habitat and the panther came close and sniffed it. "To be reduced to something so... well, compared to what he was, so unintelligent and barbaric..." She said as she placed the plate back on the cart wheeled it off, leaving a group of silenced heroes(?). 

 

"Did she...?" Natasha was the first to speak, her voice trailing off as her eyes flicked to the animal in the habitat. The small panther was now digging into the meat, tearing it apart. It had placed its paws on the carcass and began pulling roughly, and ended up pulling so hard it was flipped over onto its back.

 

It was then that a chorus of gasps rang out through the group. They noticed the iconic scar tissue left from Tony's Arc Reactor surgery on the panther's chest.

 

"No..." Steve whispered, his voice small.

 

"That's impossible," Natasha said beside him.

 

"How...does he- how did-" Sam couldn't form a coherent thought.

 

The trio turned when they heard snickering. 

 

Clint was staring at the animal, covering his mouth with his hand and snickering. "That's-" he tried to speak but was overcome with a fit of giggles, doubling over and holding his stomach. "Serves him right!" he said, a wide smile on his face. 

 

Wanda stood beside him, a small smile on her face as well. "Yes, in this form he can't hurt anyone else," she said smugly, crossing her arms and watching Tony continue to tear into the meat. "...with weapons, that is." 

 

Clint stood up and slammed his fist on the glass, gaining the panther's attention.

 

"YO TONES!" he yelled, a wicked smile on his face. "HOW'S IT FEEL TO BE IN A CAGE, HUH?" he yelled, the panther staring at him with his fangs bared. Tony was frozen, hissing at the man as he took a step back. "Aw, he recognizes us!" Clint mocked, laughing again.

 

Sam furrowed his brow, watching as Tony took another step back. That wasn't like him from what he'd seen of Stark- if he saw Clint mocking him, he'd fight back, or he'd ignore him, he wouldn't back away. It was almost like he was-

 

"He's afraid," Steve said, his own brow furrowed. 

 

"Good!" Wanda spoke up, glaring down at the animal. 

 

"No, no I mean- Look, we all know that Tony doesn't give a shit about Clint's insults...I- I don't think he recognizes us." the blonde said, coming to a realization as he spoke. "I- I don't think he knows who we are," he said slowly.

 

"And I have a hunch he doesn't know who he is either..." he continued.

 

This caused everyone to freeze- could that be true? 

 

They watched as Tony hissed once more and abandoned the meat in favor of climbing into a tree, lying down and beginning to lick his paws clean. He kept glancing up towards them, but it was disinterested this time and held no emotion. 

 

"Steve, if he doesn't remember who he is-" Natasha was cut off by the door to the habitats opening once more, this time revealing a dismissive-looking T'Challa.

 

"Judging by your expressions, I'm guessing you've figured it out," he said simply, walking towards them and stopping before the glass. His eyes turned sad as he watched Tony groom himself, placing a hand on the glass. "He...he doesn't remember a thing, apparently. That's what the Hydra agent made sure of at least. The key to reversing everything is in the drive we took from their base, but..." the King trailed off, watching Tony.

 

"I'm afraid that by the time we decrypt it, it'll be too late." 

 

"But, your highness, I thought- don't you have the highest tech equipment there is?" Sam spoke up, glancing between him and the panther currently laying in the tree. 

 

"I do, Wakanda does, but this is different- it has to be done by hand, they way Hydra has set up their files, it requires a human eye, not a robotic one. And without the multiple minds required working on it, there's..." he trailed off, his shoulders slumping. "There may be nothing that can be done."

 

The room was quiet. 

 

"My sister is currently looking over the files, and I plan on helping her, but I had a feeling you all would be in here-- I had to make sure you'd do nothing rash." his gaze flicked to Clint and Wanda. "He's not Stark. Not right now at least. Until we are able to fix him, he is just another panther, and to attack a panther within Wakanda's walls is a crime of the highest severity." he said, his eyes locked onto the pair.

 

"I will not tolerate any funny business. If I get word of any mistreatment, you will be banned from Wakanda." his tone was serious and grave, his eyes steely as he stared at the witch. 

 

T'Challa then composed himself and took one more look at Tony, then turned towards the exit. "If you'll excuse me," he said, "I have a friend to try and save." 

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

_TBC..._

 

 

 


	16. Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit happens idk summaries are spoilers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Slightly shorter chapter this time, but it'll be longer next time :D*

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

_T'Challa then composed himself and took one more look at Tony, then turned towards the exit. "If you'll excuse me," he said, "I have a friend to try and save."_

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

When Rhodey came to, he found himself surrounded by bright lights. He could barely open his eyes, but he knew that it was too bright to be comfortable. The man tried to open his eyes further but gave up when he found himself too weak to do so, closing them instead.

 

He chose to rely on what he could hear and smell-- which, to be honest, wasn't that much.

 

He could tell he was somewhere sterile, as the room he was in reeked of cleaning and antibacterial supplies, the chemicals burning his nose if he focused too hard on them. Okay, so that narrowed it down to a few places...

 

The only things he could hear was his own breathing, a small fan, and, most notably, a heart monitor. This gave him pause, making him wonder just where he could be that would have a heart monitor- the first place he thought of was a hospital, but why would he be in a hospit--

 

Rhodey tried to sit up, pain scorching through his body and causing him to crash back onto the slightly uncomfortable bed he was laying on.

 

Alright, so _that_ may be why he might be in a hospital. Just what had happened before he had fallen asleep--

 

**_"Just before he disappeared...before he went to Siberia, we had made plans to meet and discuss a possible pardon for you all," Rhodey told the group bluntly._ **

  

**_"I- He's my best friend. I don't know what I'd do without him. I don't just fear for his life, I fear for mine as well, because Vision, I swear to God, if he goes--"_ **

 

**_Rhodey ran his fingers gently along the creature's body and what he could only assume was scar tissue, brow furrowing further when it seemed to be in the shape of a circle._ **

 

**_He wrapped his arms around the panther and pulled him in tight, grasping onto the animal for dear life._ **

 

**_The animal mewled and clawed at his chest in an attempt to flee._ **

  

_**Rhodes finally succumbed to his wounds and passed out, only to finally be wheeled fully into the medical room.** _

 

...Right. So that was what happened. 

 

So that meant he was still in Wakanda-- or at least he hoped he was. Rhodey opened his eyes for a second time, this time ignoring the pain the bright lights brought him and keeping them open. He saw the Wakandan decor surrounding him and instantly relaxed, thankful he hadn't had to have been moved.

 

Wait-- had they caught Tony!?

 

He needed to stay as close to Tony as possible-- he wasn't sure if T'Challa had understood what he'd meant, and if he hadn't, that meant he'd have to find Tony on his own. 

 

The soldier let out a shaky breath as he attempted to figure out his next course of action, thinking over just where Tony could have run off to, or if he'd been caught, where T'Chalal would have put him-

 

"Ah, James. Good to see you are awake." 

 

The voice through him for a loop for a moment, his mind supplying him with the knowledge that it was JARVIS's voice, only for him to shake his head when he looked up to find Vision standing before him. He blinked, his thoughts catching up to the rest of him. "Vision, I told you to call me Rhodey- or Rhodes, if you're more comfortable with that." 

 

"Of course, my mistake, Master Rhodes." the android replied.

 

Rhodey sighed and shook his head- the red being before him was just as stubbornly polite as the AI within him. 

 

"Well, anyways, tell me, what's on your mind? You look like something's troubling you." Rhodey said, tilting his head as he watched the usually calm android figit in place. "Did something happen with Rogers' group...?"

 

_Had they found out?_

 

"Well, I suppose you could say that." Vision replied. "I was looking through the security feeds and found T'Challa speaking to Rogers' group, warning them that should any harm come to mister Stark, that they would be banned from Wakanda." he said, rubbing his hand under his chin. "Though I am unsure as to what happened before to bring about this conversation."

 

Rhodey chuckled, the action causing pain to ripple throughout his body. "Well..." he winced. "At least we know his royal highness is on our side." 

 

Vision tilted his head. "I wasn't aware we were choosing sides."

 

Rhodes shook his head, holding up a hand to stop the android. "No no, I meant-" he was cut off by T"Challa poking his head into the room.

 

"Colonel." the man said, his face obviously worried but seemingly trying to put on a brave face. "One of the nurses alerted me that you were awake." he said, coming into the room completely and closing the door behind him. 

 

Rhodey blinked, processing the King's words. "Oh uh- yea," he replied, sitting up slightly, despite the pain in his chest.

 

"How are you feeling?" T'Challa questioned, coming closer to the bed. The man seemed to have something on his mind but was addressing the formalities first.

 

"...Fine..." Rhodey said slowly, though that wasn't really the case. "T'Challa is something wrong...?" he asked. "Did- did Tony get away-" he tried sitting up further out of panic but winced when pain flared up and forced him back down into his pillows. 

 

T'Challa and Vision were on each side of him in an instant, making sure he didn't harm himself further. "No, no he didn't- didn't get away, I have him in a habitat currently. I'm... I'm still slightly in denial that it is Stark, but you seemed convinced..." he trailed off, looking down at Rhodey's sheets. He looked back up, a determined look in his eyes. "But if it is him, and you are sure of it, my sister and I shall do everything in our power to help him."

 

Rhodey let a small smile appear on his face, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Thank you, your highness..." he said slowly.

 

"I'm sorry, but did you say that ~~Sir~~ \- that Mister Stark is in a habitat? Such as a _panther_ habitat?" Vision asked, tilting his head. "I am currently looking through the security feed that runs through that room and cannot see any sign of him," he said, his eyes glowing for a moment before dimming.

 

"Why do you say that Mister Stark is there when the only beings present are a panther and the 'Revengers'?" Vision asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. 

 

Rhodey raised an eyebrow- had he not been informed? "You come up with that name yourself?" he asked.

 

If Vision could blush, he'd be doing so right then. "It fits them, does it not?" he asked.

 

"Rhodey shrugged lightly. "Eh, just don't say it to their faces," he replied. 

 

"Wait, did you say that Rogers' group was in the habitat room?" Rhodey asked then, catching up on the android's words. He looked at T'Challa nervously, to which the king replied with a reassuring smile.

 

"Do not worry, my friend, I have already warned them that should they attempt to bring any harm to Mister Stark, that they will not be welcome in Wakanda," he said, placing a hand on Rhodey's shoulder.

 

Vision's eyebrows were still furrowed as he looked between the men before he suddenly raised them. "Oh- Mister Stark is the panther then?" he asked, looking between them.

 

"Wait, did you not know?" Rhodey asked, glancing at T"Challa. "Then-- how did Rogers' group know...?" 

 

T'Challa furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment before lighting up. "James," he said suddenly, gaining Rhodey's attention.

 

"Yes...?" he replied, an eyebrow quirked.

 

"No no, I mean, Barnes. He helped me to find Tony in the jungle and brought him back with me. He..." the king sighed. "Of course he would tell them..." he muttered. "I'm sorry, Rhodes, I never meant for that to happen. But rest assured, my warning to them is not simply hot air," he said, placing his hand back on Rhodey's shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. 

 

"Thanks..." Rhodey said quietly, his mind wandering to Tony.

 

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

_TBC..._

 

 


	17. A Spark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We haven't checked back with Tony in a while...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Lots of brow furrowing ahead.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, since MCU has never said anything to the contrary, I am assuming that Clint still grew up in the circus-- even if he didn't in the MCU, he has now, because I love that part of his backstory.

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

_"Thanks..." Rhodey said quietly, his mind wandering to Tony._

  

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

Tony yawned as he woke slowly from his nap, eyes fluttering open and looking around lazily. He blinked slowly and stood, extending his claws and pushing himself off the tree limbs and on to the ground.

 

He stretched, extending his body and arching his back. He shook his fur into place and yawned again, looking around him. So far, nothing had changed, he was still in this strange, fake jungle, still kept captive by an invisible wall. 

 

Tony's eye was caught by what looked like a small pond, and he trotted up to it, sniffing the water before lapping it up. He suddenly interrupted by a strange dull pounding coming from the invisible wall, the panther lifting his head to find a large blonde male human and a slightly smaller female human. 

 

The animal tilted his head, eyeing the humans closely. Before, there had been more of them, and Tony didn't know why, but at the time he'd known it was a bad thing for the humans to be that many in number and he be all alone. 

 

Now though, there were only two, and the wall seemed to keep him and them separate...

 

Tony turned and took a step closer to the humans, which seemed to surprise the male, while the female remained emotionless. Tony sniffed the air, trying to get a read on them, but the wall seemed to keep him from doing so. He hesitated before taking another step, but something, something old and warm, tugged at him, telling him that he knew these humans-- that at one point, they'd been the closest thing to family he'd had. 

 

He chuffed at them, and the male seemed mesmerized by this, whereas the female had finally deemed him interesting enough to be slightly curious about. 

 

Tony slowly walked closer to the pair, his dull yellow eyes swirling, light glinting in them and making them appear to be swirling with honey brown. There was something about these humans, it was on the tip of his subconscious, he could feel it--

 

Suddenly, another human appeared this one another male and bearing a similar appearance to the taller male. The human popped up and banged his fists against the invisible wall, spooking Tony and sending him running away from the humans out of fear. 

 

Tony darted behind a large tree, poking his head out slowly and watching the trio intently, breathing heavily. The pair that had been there first seemed to be growling at the smaller male, who was simply shrugging them off. 

 

The panther shook his head and sat on the ground, trying to call back whatever had been on the edge of his memory but found it blank. He growled lowly in frustration- it was like something was missing that hadn't been before, and now that he knew something was missing, it was glaringly obvious. 

 

Tony only stood when he heard a whooshing sound, craning his neck to look around the tree. He found the pair, along with the small male, walking inside. This may be his chance to escape- if the humans could get in, maybe he could get out!

 

He took a step out into the open, ears swiveling as he heard the humans talk to one another.

 

"Seriously Clint, did you not hear what T'Challa said? Ton- Stark doesn't even know who he is, what enjoyment could you possibly get from tormenting him like that?" the large blonde human said, gripping the smaller male's arm tightly. 

 

"Dude, chill. I'm sure T'Challa just said that to keep us from doing it. There's no way that Stark doesn't know who he is. He's too self-centered and egotistical to forget who he is." the smaller human replied back, an air of discontent surrounding him. "He's probably waiting in the shadows to maul us as we speak," he muttered.

 

"Clint, you know that Stark wouldn't offer his home up to us if he didn't care about us at least a little bit." the female said, her eyebrows drawn as she looked at the male angrily. 

 

"Sure, that's why he locked us up with Ross." the male replied.

 

Tony took a step closer to the humans, coming out of the shade of the tree. He sniffed the air and watched them, but didn't move any closer. He seemed to have caught the large male's attention since he looked right at Tony.

 

"There he is." the large male said, motioning with his head in Tony's direction. "You scared him. You make it up to him," he said, tossing the smaller male forward and causing him to stumble then fall onto the dirt. 

 

"I don't know why you're so intent on me 'apologizing' to him, especially after what he did to us-- what he did to _you_ ," Clint grumbled on the ground.

 

Tony tensed, his eyes wide and fearful as the human was thrown somewhat close to him. He stood stock-still, his joints locking up as the human stood and dusted himself off. The male rolled his eyes and glanced at Tony coldly, only to pause when he saw Tony's expression.

 

The male seemed to be thinking as he glanced back at the other humans, then to Tony. His anger began to apparate as his gaze turned curious. He remained quiet, eyeing the panther as he contemplated his next move.

 

"...Stark...?" he said slowly, to which Tony tilted his head. Who was that?

 

The human furrowed his brow before slowly crouching down and holding out his hand. He didn't move after that, only holding out his hand and looking at Tony with somewhat warm eyes. There was still mistrust there, but Tony could tell he was trying to push it away.

 

The panther let out a breath and slowly took a step forward, keeping his eyes glued on the human. He kept himself close to the ground and moved slowly, so as not to try and provoke a reaction from the human. He got about a foot away from the human's outstretched hand and sniffed the air again, making sure that the human wasn't going to try anything. 

 

After a tense moment, he took another step closer, gaze flicking between the human's hand and his eyes. Finally, he felt the hand on his snout, closing his eyes at the warmth of the human's hand. He felt the human take a sharp breath of air, making him open his eyes in response. 

 

He tilted his head, glancing at the hand and the now confused human, who seemed to radiate a mixture of confusion, anger, and guilt all at once. Tony didn't like the feeling- sure, the human had scared him, and there was something telling him that he couldn't be trusted, that he had betrayed Tony- but he couldn't bring himself to believe that. This human was hurting.

 

But he didn't know why. 

 

Tony butted his head against the human's hand once more, making him come out of his stupor somewhat. "You..." the human spoke, running his hand down Tony's head and scratching behind his ears. "You really don't know who I am..." he said slowly, continuing to scratch. 

 

The animal began to purr in response- he had forgotten that being pet felt amazing, and this human seemed to know just the right spots to scratch.

 

"You're just like the big cats from when I was a kid..." the human spoke again, but Tony ignored him in favor of flopping on the ground, allowing the human access to his stomach to pet.

 

"Definitely doesn't remember..." the female said, coming up to them and crossing her arms. Her eyes were sad, but her face was neutral as she watched the small male scratch Tony's belly. 

 

The large male followed her, and something about this man screamed at Tony to simultaneously run as far away from him as he could, claw his face off out of anger and betrayal, and kiss--

 

Wait, what did that last one mean?

 

Tony mentally shrugged, not paying attention as the large male joined the smaller on the ground, running a large hand over Tony's fur. He purred loudly at the warmth, his tail whapping against the ground as they pet him. 

 

"So he's just...just an animal, then?" the small male asked, turning back towards his companions. Tony felt a large hand scratch his chin and he grabbed it in his paws, licking it slowly as a sign of thanks. 

 

"Looks like it." the larger replied, his hand being licked. "I mean unless you know Tony to openly show this much affection. Especially towards me- especially _now_." 

 

The smaller male looked back at him, tilting his head as he scratched under Tony's chin. Tony paid attention to him then, rather than the larger male, and purred louder. "I may not like Stark...especially after what he did to us. But..." Tony got closer to the human, placing the front half of his body in the male's lap. "This...this really isn't Tony." 

 

There was another whooshing sound, gaining Tony's attention and making him look at the source of the noise- something seemed to have opened up in the invisible wall because a dark male human and the not-human from before were walking in, the not-human staring at him curiously. 

 

"Sam." the largest male said, standing up to greet the pair that had appeared. "...Vision." he nodded his head at the not-human, but the not-human ignored him for the most part. He chose to instead come closer to Tony, and for a moment, Tony thought he may be coming to seek revenge on him for what he did to the non-human's companion- the Rhodes human. 

 

Tony tensed as he got closer, but tilted his head in confusion when Vision stopped, crouched down, and stared at him. The small male beside him's eyes were flicking between the pair, his body rigid as if he were waiting for something. Suddenly, the not-human reached his hand out slowly, waiting for Tony to come to it.

 

Tony, in return, simply blinked, standing up and clambering out of the small male's lap. He sniffed the not-human's hand, (which smelled like a mixture of metal, vanilla, and home for some reason) and butted his head against it, a soft purr emitting from his throat. 

 

"Sir..." Vision said slowly, his eyes suddenly sad. He took a seat on the floor and ran his hand down Tony's head, scratching behind his ear. Tony, too, took a seat, allowing him to pet his coat. He felt more hands on him and glanced to find the small male running his hand down Tony's back, his nails gently scratching him. 

 

In response to this Tony laid down, resting his head on one of Vision's legs as the pair pet him. He purred loudly, it being the only sound in the quiet room. His plan of escape was completely forgotten, in favor of being pet by these humans (and Android). 

 

Tony had closed his eyes out of bliss, unaware of the third whooshing sound and another pair of humans entering the habitat.

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

_TBC..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate route that I didn't really like cause it was kinda OOC:
> 
>  
> 
> Tony stood suddenly, his ears swiveling when he heard a loud click, followed by a whooshing sound. He turned towards the brush that made up part of the wall, tilting his head in confusion. A female appeared out of the brush, a red glow surrounding her. Tony blinked, tilting his head in the other direction at the sight of her.
> 
> He sniffed the air and took a step towards her curiously, despite some part of his mind telling him it was a bad idea. He only paused when the red around her seemed to spike, and her calm expression changed to one of anger-- towards him. 
> 
> Tony swallowed, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable to be the distance from her that he was. He growled lowly in the back of his throat as a warning, stepping backward out of fear.
> 
> "Not so tough now, are you Stark?" the female asked, her voice cold and she took a step towards him. 
> 
> Tony was confused by what that could have meant but kept stepping back. He was out in the open now, his tail tucked between his legs as he continued to growl at her. He turned and saw the trio of humans watching him, the original male and female pressed against the glass, seemingly growling at the female in front of him. 
> 
> The large male began to beat on the invisible wall, and to Tony's surprise, it actually began to crack. He looked back at the angry female before him, before feeling the ability to move be stripped away from him. He felt himself be wrapped in a cold, deep red aura and be lifted into the air, fear gripping him tightly.
> 
>  
> 
> *that's where I stopped cause I didn't really like it lol*


	18. Making Amends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: short chapter, sorry about that, but you'll see why next chapter.

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

_Tony had closed his eyes out of bliss, unaware of the third whooshing sound and another pair of humans entering the habitat._

 

_\- - - ⎊ - - -_

  

He opened his eyes when he heard a strange rolling sound, unlike the sound of footsteps. He lifted his head to look at the humans, of which there was now 5, one of them being much shorter than the rest, and in a strange metal seat with wheels. 

 

Tony's ears laid back on his head as he lowered it, the sight of the human bringing guilt to the forefront of his mind. Had he done that? He had only been defending himself, he hadn't meant to injure the human to that degree-

 

A whine emitted from Tony's throat as the seated human, who he remembered was called Rhodes, came close to him. He seemed to be sad as he watched Tony but thankfully lacked any fear. This didn't stop Tony from taking a few steps backward as the human advanced, just in case he was feeling vengeful. 

 

The human glanced at the small male, narrowing his eyes at him. "Get your hands off of him." he ground out, his fist clenched at his sides. The small human blinked and slowly backed away, along with the not-human. This left Tony alone with the Rhodey human, as the others humans looked on from a distance away.

 

The Rhodes human stopped advancing, his face twisted in slight surprise and guilt. "Tones..." he said softly, leaning down to lay his hand out, palm up. Tony was weary of this human, though part of his brain told him he had no reason to be, another part told him that humans were vengeful, that they didn't take kindly to being attacked. 

 

Tony whimpered, beginning to shake as he stared at the human. He was low to the ground, his ears laying flat on his head as the human tried to coax him closer. 

 

"Tones, please..." the human said, his eyes growing sadder. "I'm not gonna hurt you..." he added quietly.

 

Tony was unsure if this was true, but he took a tentative step forward anyway. This seemed to make the human brighten, though whether that was a good thing or not Tony had yet to determine. He sniffed the human from afar, getting no sense of anger or trickery coming from him. He was unsure, but he took another step closer to Rhodes anyways.

 

"That's it buddy...it's just me, it's okay. I'm not mad..." Rhodes whispered reassuringly, causing Tony to take another step towards him. Tony sniffed the hand that was out, just as he had done with the others, but there was something about this one that seemed different.

 

It was old, the scent something he was able to latch onto. It reminded Tony of warmth, of something he couldn't quite grasp- it reminded him of family, that this human was connected to him in some way, and that he always would be. 

 

The panther tilted his head in confusion, blinking and shaking his head in an attempt to sort out his thoughts. He mewled up at Rhodes, then put his head against the human's calloused hand. He purred loudly, getting as close to the human as he could. Tony shut his eyes tightly and rubbed against him, as if he were the one thing that could scratch the itch in his brain.

 

He opened his eyes when he sensed another human coming closer, finding it was the panther human. He brightened immediately, tail flicking back and forth at the sight of a human that was so close to his own kind. 

 

"He may not remember you, but you sure as hell have a connection." the panther human said after a moment, resting his hand on Tony's head. The Rhodes human continued to stroke him as they talked, which Tony didn't mind in the slightest. 

 

"You don't think we can get him out of here, do you T'Challa?" Rhodes asked, running his hand down Tony's coat. Tony perked up at this, looking between the pair. "I mean, he looks eager to get out of here," he said, scratching behind one of Tony's ears.  

 

The panther human looked at Tony for a moment, seemingly thinking it over. Tony hoped the human would agree to let him out, anything to not be trapped in this strange place anymore. The panther looked up at him an saw the human's eyes soften, letting out a sigh. "I suppose. As long as he remains calm, we can let him out." 

 

"Good," Rhodes replied, a smile on his face. "And can we make sure that  _they_  stay as far away from him as possible?" he asked, petting Tony softly as he gestured with his head to the large male, the female, and the two smaller males. "I don't want anyone to think that they can take advantage of Tony because he's like this," he said, ignoring the group and focusing on the king.

 

"We wouldn't do that, Colonel." The large blonde human said suddenly, taking a step forward with his fist clenched. "Tony's--"

 

"He's  _Mister Stark_  to you,  _Rogers_." Rhodes bit back. 

 

Tony could feel the animosity rolling off the sitting man in waves, making the animal tense. He shook the human's hands from his fur, taking a step back and tilting his head. Why was he suddenly acting like this? Were these humans enemies?

 

"Now listen here, Rhodes, we all know that Stark is helpless like this. None of us would take advantage of that." the smallest male, the one who had pet him first, spoke up. "We know he doesn't remember us." he said. 

 

"Can you really speak for all of you when  _the witch_  isn't even here...?" Rhodes bit back, his body tense and lips pulled back in a snarl. 

 

"Wanda doesn't mean any harm--" 

 

"So now you speak for her, too? Just like you did for the U.S. when you invaded a fucking country, oh great Captain America?!" the Rhodes human was growing angrier by the second, and something in the back of Tony's brain was telling him to get away before he blew up. 

 

"You don't get to speak for anyone. You went against 117 nations' wishes, just to save your butt buddy." he growled, Tony backing up slowly. He stepped away from the group with his ears laying on the back of his head, the tension in the air rising to unbreathable levels.

 

"117 nations who wanted to restrain us! If we want to be heroes, we can't be restrained!" the large blonde yelled back. 

 

"I believe we are frightening Mister Stark." Vision piped up, causing the whole group to turn and look at the tense panther. The animal in question hissed in response, continuing to back up now that the tension and anger was looking his way.

 

"Come, I think its best if you all leave and take some time to cool down. I will bring Mister Stark to the other panthers, where he can be watched." the panther human spoke up, looking at something wrapped around his wrist. "It looks like my sister needs me. I trust you to be adults about this," he said, looking towards Tony. "Come now, little one." he said calmly, making the panther's anxiety diminish.

 

He darted towards him, weaving through the humans to make his way to the only one that didn't reek of negativity and followed him out of the strange cage. He kep his head low as he followed the human, looking behind him to find the other humans coming out after them and dispersing. He turned his attention back to the front and found himself in the room full of panthers. 

 

He lit up in delight, padding over to Zvi and his mate. He was greeted with a wordless mewl from the elder male and lay down near the pair. He glanced back to find the human watching him with a sad look before turning and walking off. He turned back at the sound of Zvi's chuffing.

 

"Look's like you've had an adventure, skinwalker," he said calmly as his mate groomed him quietly. "We watched you run out of here in a panic, with the humans chasing you and we got worried, but Calypso assured me that you would be fine," he said, tilting his head at the smaller animal. "I'm glad to see that you are." 

 

"Look, Zvi, I appreciate the concern, but will you please stop calling me Skin-Walker? I'm not one of those things. I'm a panther. Always have been, always will be." Tony replied, crossing his paws over one another. 

 

"Sure," Zvi replied. He rolled over on his side and looked up at Tony, blinking slowly. "Tell me then, what was your cubhood like?" he asked slowly.

 

"My cubhood?" Tony questioned, furrowing his brow. "My cubhood-- I- well, it was-" he stammered, trying to think back to when he was only a cub but coming up blank. Some images of a human with weird facial hair growling at him came to mind, along with a female human who always had a glass in her hand but was kind and loving to him, but he pushed those away. That didn't have anything to do with his cubhood-- did they?

 

"You're drawing a blank, aren't you?" Zvi said after a few moments, a smug look on his face. 

 

Tony was quiet. "...no..." he muttered, laying his head on his paws. "But that doesn't prove anything. I'm a panther. I can't remember being anything else, so that's the only thing that makes sense." he grumbled.

 

"Whatever you say, _Skin-Walker_...." Zvi mumbled with a grin before Tony pounced on him, sending them both tumbling on the ground in a mixture of playful growls and chuffs as they wrestled. 

 

  _\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

**TBC...**

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those of you that I know will comment about me deleting the author's note, (because I'm a fucking paranoid asshole whose covering my bases) I deleted it because its causing headaches for me that I don't need to deal with right now, especially with the things going on in my life at the moment. 
> 
> Not covering up my mistake, because if I were trying to do that, I would pretend it didn't happen. It did. But I don't want to deal with it anymore. Let's move on.


	19. The Plot Thickens (Literally)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> P L O T !

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I F I N A L L Y watched Infinity War-- and I cried. A LOT.
> 
> Like- that was fucked up, Russo brothers. Fucked. Up.
> 
> Anywho, sorry for the delay, enjoy the story.

 

  _\- - - ⎊ - - -_

 

_"Whatever you say, Skin-Walker...." Zvi mumbled with a grin before Tony pounced on him, sending them both tumbling on the ground in a mixture of playful growls and chuffs as they wrestled._

 

__\- - - ⎊ - - -_ _

 

Rhodey tensed as Tony pounced on a much larger panther and nearly wheeled his ass over to the pair to break them up, but was stopped by Vision's hand on his shoulder. 

 

"Do not worry, Colonel. Panthers often play like this," he said calmly, watching the pair alongside him. 

 

"Doesn't mean I have to like it..." Rhodey muttered. 

 

"Why don't we leave them to their business and go see if his Highness has made any progress? Perhaps I can be of some assistance in cracking the drive." Vision offered, tilting his head as he looked down at Rhodey for confirmation. 

 

The former soldier had been interested in the progress that T'Challa and his sister could have made, but he wasn't sure about leaving Tony alone. If one of those bastards were to come around...

 

"Rhodes, you're gripping your wheels too tightly for them to move." 

 

Rhodey snapped out of his haze, blinking and letting go of the wheels on the wheelchair. He sat back in the chair and watched Tony wrestle the larger panther, wondering if there was anything even resembling his best friend in the animal. "Let's go, Vision..." he muttered, slumping in his chair as the android took the handles and wheeled him away from the animals.

 

__\- - - ⎊ - - -_ _

 

Clint watched Rhodes and Vision leave what he had deemed "the panther room", waiting until they were around the corner to come out of his hiding spot. He clambered out from behind a large marble panther statue, waving nervously at a handmaiden who was staring at him with wide eyes. 

 

He then turned to face the room of big cats, his eyes snapping to a pair of wrestling ones. In retrospect, now that they knew it was Stark, it wasn't hard to pick him out in a crowd such as this. The dude was  _tiny_. 

 

He smirked as he pulled out a small paper bag with a crudely drawn cat on the front of it, walking up slowly to the pair. He shook the bag and crouched down before them, gaining the panthers' attention. Or at least Tony's. 

 

Tony sniffed the air, clambering up from underneath the larger panther to sniff whatever Clint was holding. He wasn't able to get very close to it before Clint raised it higher than he could reach, holding out his other hand to keep Tony from it. 

 

The panther tilted his head, still sniffing the air. He looked back at the larger panther, who by this point was being groomed by a slightly smaller panther, and then back to Clint and his mysterious paper bag. 

 

"You wanna know what's in this?" Clint asked slowly, shaking it with a grin on his face. "Come on, then," he said, standing up and walking off. He paused a couple feet away from the panther and shook the bag again, spurring Tony to follow him. 

 

"Good kitty," he said as he shook the bag again.

 

__\- - - ⎊ - - -_ _

 

Rhodey was wheeled through the seemingly endless corridors by Vision as the android probably followed an interior GPS or something- he could only guess. The colonel sighed, resting his arm on an armrest and his chin on that. He was tired, sore, and frustrated-- he hoped that seeing the progress T'Challa had made would cheer him up.

 

"And were here." Vision said suddenly, stopping before a door that read "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY" in bold black letters. Rhodey glanced up at Vision, who in turn was looking at the door. 

 

"I've unlocked it," he said, opening the door and pushing the former soldier in. Rhodey could only shake his head and grin, oh how much he was like his creator. 

 

"Rhodes, Vision, glad to see that my security couldn't keep the two of you from something that regards Mister Stark," Shuri said, glancing up from her tablet with a tired grin. She had bags under her eyes, and her frame reeked of exhaustion, but she was still cheery somehow.

 

"My brother and I have made quite a bit of progress-- though not as much as we would have liked," she told the pair, standing up and setting down her tablet on the loveseat she had been sitting on, several cups of coffee on the ground beside it. 

 

"We know that Mister Stark was injected, that's what the file says at least, but we don't know any of the ingredients that were in the syringe," Shuri said as she guided them to a large holo-screen. "Well, I say that, but it seems like my brother just found the first one." She then proceeded to pull up a file with information on the first ingredient. 

 

"It's called Iridium. It actually seemed to play a large part in the battle of New York in 2012-- it's used as a stabilizing agent for what we can only assume are more volatile ingredients." 

 

Rhodes nodded- Tony had talked his ear off about the element before, and though he hadn't paid much attention, he knew the man had said that it was something that could stabilize  _nuclear energy_  if used correctly. 

 

"It is also exceedingly rare," T'Challa said, stepping out from around a corner, a tablet in his hands. "Iridium is not only rarer than Vibranium but way more dangerous to get a hold of."  

 

"It's not like we have to get any, though, right?" Rhodes asked slowly. 

 

The brother and sister shared a look.

 

__\- - - ⎊ - - -_ _

 

 Clint coaxed the panther to follow him to the 'Revengers'  _(as Vision had started calling them)_ 's sanctioned area of the palace. The archer swiped his card and the glass doors slid open, turning to look at the animal behind him before shaking the bag for good measure. 

 

Tony followed, as expected, though he paused at the entrance to sniff the air. He immediately tensed, before shaking his head and coming closer. Clint furrowed his brow-- what was that?

 

He filed the event away before coaxing the animal towards him once more, just in time for Sam to come walking around the corner. "Clint...?" the ex-soldier said slowly, tilting his head at the sight before him. "Do I even wanna know what you're doing with Tony?" he asked. 

 

Clint glanced at the panther, then to the bag, then to Sam-- "Probably not." he said with a smirk.

 

Sam rolled his eyes and glanced at the bag himself. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

 

Clint narrowed his eyes comically. "Yes. I wanna see if it works the same way on big cats," he replied, continuing his trek to the large den- the room with the least amount of furniture. 

 

"Okay, I'll bite. I kinda wanna see this." Sam said, following the pair into the den. 

 

Tony paused for a moment to sniff the air around him, but his attention was once again captured when Clint shook the bag before tossing it on the ground before him. The panther walked up to it and sniffed, then rubbed his nose against the bag. 

 

He suddenly flopped on the floor, grabbing the bag with his paws and rubbing himself against it. Tony chuffed into the bag, licking it before rolling over and tearing at it with his mouth. 

 

Clint watched with wide eyes, biting his fist. "Lookit that!" he laughed, crouching before Tony as he tore up the bag to reach the catnip inside.

 

Tony sniffed the herbs deeply and started to roll in them, flopping onto his back and grinding his fur into them. He purred loudly, tail whapping against the floor as Clint and Sam stood watching him. 

 

"I don't even wanna know what someone will say if they see this," Sam said, crossing his arms over his chest. They watched the panther continue to roll around on the ground before sitting up dizzily and glancing up at the pair.

 

"Ah, come on, it's not that big of a deal. It's an experiment. Stark here likes experiments, doesn't he?" Clint replied, rubbing one of Tony's ears. The panther leaned into the touch, losing his balance and flopping over onto the floor. "Ha ha! He's drunk." Clint said, sitting down to pet Tony.

 

"I don't really think he'd appreciate this one," Sam replied, rolling his eyes.

 

"You worry too much." 

 

__\- - - ⎊ - - -_ _

 

 TBC... 

 

 


	20. Waste Of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit yall did NOT like the fact that Clint played with Tony using catnip last chapter. 
> 
> Holy shit man.
> 
> Like ya'll kinda scare me with how much you didn't like that.
> 
> whatever you'll probably hate this more.
> 
> (ALSO HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN THE ENDGAME TRAILER?! yikes...Tony bb boi hold on, Carol's coming for you!!!!)

 

 _\- - - ⎊ - - -_  

 

_"Ah, come on, it's not that big of a deal. It's an experiment. Stark here likes experiments, doesn't he?" Clint replied, rubbing one of Tony's ears. The panther leaned into the touch, losing his balance and flopping over onto the floor. "Ha ha! He's drunk." Clint said, sitting down to pet Tony._

_"I don't really think he'd appreciate this one," Sam replied, rolling his eyes._

_"You worry too much."_

 

__\- - - ⎊ - - -_ _

 

"When it comes to you, Barton, I don't think worrying too much is an option," Sam replied, watching the large panther roll around on the ground. "Do you even know what the eventual effects of catnip are on big cats?" Sam asked, crossing his arms over his chest and taking a step back as Tony came over to Clint, licked him, then flopped down on top of him. 

 

"Of course I do," Clint said, patting the large head of the animal that lay on top of him. "I grew up around big cats-- lions, tigers, jaguars, you name it, I've probably trained it," he said, scooting out from under Tony. "Where little cats get full of energy, these guys kinda just get drunk and loopy. Nothing big. He may tear up a couch or something, but for the most part, he's just plastered." Clint said as he sat criss-cross on the ground. 

 

"I dunno man, I just don't think Stark would consent to this," Sam replied, glancing at the door to the room.

 

"Psshh, whatever dude," Clint said, his easy smile disappearing. "You dont know Stark-- You have no idea how it used to be." he said, glancing at the panther. "We used to play pranks on each other all the time back at the tower," he said, looking down at the floor. "Heh- one time, I replaced Stark's hair gel with glue. He got me back by turning my uniform bright pink and purple," he said, a reminiscing smile on his face. 

 

"They were always harmless for the most part- or, well, harmless to us anyways. I'd let Lucky- uh, my dog, roll around in one of his expensive cars and get hair everywhere, he'd get me back by slipping me laxatives," he said with a chuckle. "We were kings at that sort of thing."

 

"Things just...went south." His smile faded.

 

"People changed and lines were drawn in the sand. Tony chose his side, and we chose ours." Clint said, petting a purring Tony on his lap. "With him like this... I dunno. It just kinda feels like a redo of sorts." he said. "Like maybe a chance for me and him to just be chill again...even if it's not permanent- even if its- I dunno, not really Stark right now."

 

"Clint, I know losing a friend can be hard, but something like this could be taken in the very worst way possible," Sam replied, kneeling beside him. "Tony's not in his right mind- you're essentially taking advantage of him like this."

 

"I am not! It's just catnip! It's not like I kicked him or something! I didn't shave his fur or put him on a leash!" Clint argued, furrowing his brow. The archer stood, pushing Sam's hand off his shoulder. "You act like you care so much about him and you barely even know the guy, Wilson," Clint growled. 

 

"You're right, I'm not his friend. I held no alliance with him. You did, and you still chose to take sides rather than help come up with a solution that involved both Stark and Rogers." Sam said sternly. 

 

"Good luck with your drunk cat," Sam said bluntly, turning around angrily and walking out of the large room.

 

Tony chuffed confusedly, looking up at the archer and rubbing against him. 

 

  _ _\- - - ⎊ - - -__

 

 "You mean to tell me that we have to find this exceedingly rare and valuable metal- of which only a small, minuscule even amount has ever been found if we wanna turn my best friend back to normal?!" Rhodey said, surprisingly all in one breath. He was breathing heavily and gripping the armrests of his wheelchair tightly, Vision standing behind him silently. 

 

T'Challa and Shuri glanced at one another before looking at Rhodey. "Yes?" Shuri said finally, finger hovering above the tablet in her hand. "Among other things most likely. Do not worry, Rhodes, Wakanda has the highest technology available for research and recovery," he said, looking back down at her tablet. "Allow me to continue to decrypt this." she said, walking off and leaving her brother with the fuming pilot.

 

Rhodey slumped in his seat-- he was beginning to feel hopeless. It wasn't like he didn't believe in the Wakandians-- if anyone could find this substance, it was them-- but his gut felt like it was in knots. He couldn't help but worry when it was Tony's life on the line. 

 

"Can I at least help?" He asked, looking up at the king.

 

"I think it best if you leave this to us, James. My sister and I will scan the globe for any traces of the metal, why don't you go check on Mister Stark?" T'Challa replied, hands clasped behind his back. He glanced at Vision, who nodded in reply. 

 

"I think that may be best, Colonel." the android said. "I will stay here to assist though. My network reaches farther than his majesties does, I'm sure."

 

"I don't know about that, friend, but I appreciate the assistance," T'Challa replied.

 

Rhodey sighed, glancing between the two before looking at Shuri, who was concentrating on a large screen full of data. "Okay..." he said, turning his chair around. "I'll... I'll go find Tony," he said, wheeling himself out of the room and down the hall. 

 

  _ _\- - - ⎊ - - -__

 

 Clint sighed as he rubbed Tony's head, the panther purring drowsily in his lap. "Same doesn't...he doesn't get it. I'm not doing anything wrong, right Stark?" he asked, glancing down at the panther that was slowly coming out of his high. Tony simply blinked in response, tail curling and uncurling behind him. 

 

"Right..." he trailed off, averting his eyes to look off in thought. He tensed when the heard the doors slide open again, a sigh coming from his mouth. "Seriously, Sam, come on--" Clint turned back to find a stone-cold Rhodes staring at him as he rolled closer. His hand froze mid-pet, making Tony butt his head against his hand. 

 

"R-Rhodes..." Clint said, eyes wide. 

 

"I went to the room where I left Tony." He said, his voice like ice as he came to a stop before the pair. Tony perked up and stood, abandoning Clint to rub against Rhodey's legs. "I didn't see him, and I thought it was weird... so I asked one of the women in the room and she told me that she and some of her co-workers saw a blonde man in leather lure him away with a paper bag."

 

Clint swallowed thickly.

 

"Now at first, I thought Rogers-- but then I thought, no, Steve has done enough damage. He knows to take me seriously. Then I thought of you." Rhodey ran a hand along Tony's head before turning his icy gaze back towards Clint. "What did you do." he grit out between clenched teeth.

 

"It's harmless...just catnip," Clint said softly, looking the man in the eyes from his spot on the ground.

 

"You got him high." 

 

"Technically? Whatever, look, it's not like he's hurt or humiliated or something." Clint said, standing up and crossing his arms over his chest.

 

"Hm. You sure Tony would agree with that statement?" Rhodey said, the panther beside him trilling and tilting his head curiously at his name. "I'm pretty sure this entire situation, should he remember it when he is fixed, will be embarrassing for him. He doesn't need you making things worse." Rhodey turned his chair to leave, clicking with his tongue to get Tony to follow.

 

"I wasn't trying to hurt h-- wait, did you say fixed? You can fix him?" he asked, taking a step forward.

 

Rhodey turned, glaring him down. "Yes. T'Challa and Shuri have been very helpful. Unlike the rest of you." He turned back and continued rolling away, pausing in the doorway. "Not sure what I expected out of you though." 

 

With that, he left, Tony padding behind him and leaving Clint alone in the large room. 

 

  

__\- - - ⎊ - - -_ _

 

 TBC... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its been forever, I know, but I have no motivation nor any ideas for how I want this fic to continue... I D K xD

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is always welcome, and in fact, encouraged.
> 
> Please tell me what you think, I'm a sucker for feedback...
> 
> If you do like it, feel free to leave a kudos!


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